Cibrarp  of  trhe  Cheolo0ical  ^eminarjp 

PRINCETON    •    NEW  JERSEY 

"it/  VS.V* 

PRESENTED  BY 


A.    G.    Cameron,    Ph.D. 
5.18.11 


2^ 


memo. 


'^m  \ 


9 


ELOCUTION  TAUGHT  — STAMMERING  CURED. 


DR.  'COMSTOCK'S 

VOCAL   GYMNASIUM, 


No.  102  ARCH  STREET,  PHILADELPHIA. 


I 


6 


This  Institution,  which  has  been  in  successful  operation  since  182S.  is  designed  for 
the  Promotion  of  Health,  the  Cure  op  Stammering  and  Defective  Articulation,  for 
Instruction  in  Elocution  and  Phonetics,  and  for  the  Acquisition  of  Ancient  and 
Modern  Languages. 

In  this  Institution,  Elocution  is  treated  as  a  science,  as  well  as  an  art.  The  various 
movements  of  the  voice,  both  in  speech  and  song,  are  illustrated  by  original  diagrams 
and  by  oral  instruction.  The  exercises  give  the  pupil  complete  command  of  the  mus- 
cles of  articulation,  extend  tb?  compass  of  the  voice,  and  render  it  smooth,  powerful, 
and  melodious.  They  not  only  call  forth  all  the  energies  of  the  vocal  organs,  correct 
stammering,  lisping,  and  other  impediments  of  speech,  hut  they  invigorate  the  lungs, 
and,  consequently,  fortify  them  against  the  invasion  of  disease.  The  vocal  exercises 
are  not  unfrequently  accompanied  by  gesticulation,  or  the  use  of  the  dumb-bells. 
Hence,  to  a  certain  extent,  general  gymnastics  are  associated  with  those  of  the  voice; 
and  awkwardness  of  manner  and  posture  is  removed  by  the  substitution  of  rhetorical 
grace.  In  other  words,  all  the  voluntary  muscles  of  the  trunk  and  limbs  are  so 
trained  as  to  move  in  the  order  required  by  the  will,  synchronously  and  harmoni- 
ously with  those  of  the  voice. 

TICKETS  PER  COURSE. 

For  Instructing  the  Dumb  to  Speak I  year $1000 

Inscruction  for  the  Cure  of  Stammering 10  weeks 100 

Correction  of  Defective  Articulation 50  private  lessons 50 

Private  Instruction  in  Elocution 30  lessons,  each  1  hour 80 

Instruction  in  Elocution,  in  a  class 60  lessons,  each  1  h.  30  min....        30 

Instruction  in  Elocution,  in  the  evening  class..  30  lessons,  each  1  h.  30  min....        15 
Instruction  in  Languages 30  lessons,  in  a  class 15 

XKS-The  ticket,  in  each  case,  to  be  paid  for  in  advance.  Board,  in  the  Institution, 
from  $5  to  $10  per  week,  in  advance. 

#S=»  No  one  can  become  a  pupil  in  the  Yocal  Gymnasium,  who  spits  on  the  floor. 
or  is  not  otherwise  cleanly  in  his  habit — no  member  of  the  Institution  is  allowed  to  use 
tobacco  in  any  form. 

ANDREW  C0MST0CK,  M.D,  Principal, 

No.  102  Arch  Street,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 


^)a 


VOCAL  GYMNASIUM. 


RULES,    CONDITIONS,    RECOM- 
MENDATIONS., dec. 


RULES,    ADOPTED    IN    15  40. 

From  experience  in  teaching  without  fixed  rules  for  the  regula* 
f  the  conduct  of  the  different  classes,  the  Proprietor  of  the 
fnstitution  is  convinced  of  their  importance.    He  has.  therefore, 
drawn  up  the  following,  to  which  he  requires  each  member  to  sub- 
scribe on  entering  the  school. 

1.  Rich  member  of  trie  Institution  must  be  punctual  in  atten- 
dance at  all  the  ex  te  must  not  leave  till  their  close. 

2.  Each  member  must  attend  every  exhibition  at  the  Vocal  Gym- 
nasium, and  at  every  other  [ 

3.  Each  member,  wL.  ng,  must  stand  or  sit  erect. 

1 9  vocal  delivery,  are  allow. 
self  back  in  the  chair,  or  resting  the  anas 
upon  the  back  Iks  feet  upon  the  rounds. 

•4.  When,  in  concert  exercises,  a  se;  :n  out,  it  must  be 

imme_  by  every  member  of  the  class,  in  the  proper 

pitch  and  time,  and  with  the  requi 

o.  When  relation,  the  members 

of  the  class  mu;:  .  immediately  after  the  first 

n  is  pronounced,  and  repeat  the  words  and  gesture. 

6.  Each  studen:  :  :rn  all  the  exercises  with  unwearied  in- 

:  in  a  manner  wi.  i  licatethat.      -      -      ed  on  a  cure. 

7.  .'-.  -  i   about  the  roon.. 

terrur'  .  the  members  of  the  class  are  re- 

i  to  keep  in  their  places  during  the  e 

This  rule,  of  course,  does  not  apply  to  those  esercises  which  require  the  class  to 
ktrep  time  by  marc..     . 

5.  No  one  is  avowed  to  ha  ^g  in  his  hands,  except  his 

book,  during  the  exer; 

9.  Ail  colloquial  intercourse,  in  the  time  :  _ 
forbidden. 

10.  .  -Z,  loud  ta'.king,  or  other  unnecessary  noise,  in 
enteri:.  _  ■  the  room,  is  allowed. 

11.  .  ted  to  discr  nerer 
from  persevering  in  the  exercises,  greatly  retard,  if  not  entirely 
prevent  a  cure,  every  member  c: 

fxair.  _        m. 

iming  that  the  deportment  of  each   Studt  ev-ery 

location,  be  that  of  a  gemitrman  :  the  Proprietor  of  the  Institu- 
:onjidently  trusts  that  the  above  rules  will  not  be  violated. 


REMARKS  ON  STAMMERING. 

From  a  Lecture  on  Elocution,  delivered  before  the  American  Lyceum, 
May  6,  1837, 

By  Axdrew  Comstock,  M.  D. 

For  the  last  twelve  years  (since  1825),  the  author  of  these  Remarks 
has  been  engaged  in  an  investigation  of  the  philosophy  of  the  human 
voice,  with  a  view  to  the  formation  of  a  system  of  just  Elocution-, 
and  to  the  discovery  of  the  true  means  for  correcting  defective  ar- 
ticulation", and  for  removing  impediments  of  speech  in  stammerers. 
How  far  he  has  succeeded  in  his  attempt  is  not  for  him  tu  say.  His 
system  is  the  result  of  his  own  reflection  and  experience;  and.  as  ir  is 
founded  in  philosophy,  it  is  the  only  true  system.  The  following 
contain  the  mere  outlines  of  the  system.  The  work  itself  will 
be  presented  to  the  public  as  soon  as  the  author's  other  labors  will 
permit 


Stammering  or  stuttering  is  a  hesitation  or  interruption  of  speech,  and  is 
usually  attended  with  more  or  less  distortion  of  feature.  This  affection 
presents  itself  under  a  variety  of  forms ;  but  my  limits  will  not  allow  me  to 
give  a  particular  description  of  them.     I  will  notice  only  the  most  striking. 

In  some  cases,  the  stammerer  makes  an  effort  to  speak,  and  all  his  breath 
is  expelled  without  producing  vocality;  in  others,  the  lips  are  spasmodically 
closed : — these  two  forms  often  occur  in  the  same  case.  Sometimes  the  stam- 
merer, while  speaking  or  reading,  loses  all  power  over  the  vocal  organs,  and 
remains  some  moments  with  his  mouth  open,  before  he  can  recover  sufficient 
energy  to  proceed.  In  many  cases,  the  stammerer  repeats  the  word  imme- 
diately preceding  the  one  he  is  attempting  to  pronounce,  or  he  repeats,  in  a 
rapid  manner,  the  first  element,  or  the  first  syllable,  of  the  difficult  word. 

Causes. — The  predisposing  causes  are  nervous  irritability  and  delicacy 
of  constitution. 

The  most  usual  exciting  causes  are  diffidence,  embarrassment,  a  fear  of 
not  being  successful  when  about  to  make  an  effort  to  speak,  an  attempt  to 
speak  faster  than  the  vocal  organs  can  assume  the  proper  positions  for  utter- 
ance. Two  or  more  of  these  causes  often  occur  in  the  same  case.  Some- 
times the  habit  of  stammering  is  acquired  by  imitation. 

The  proximate  cause  of  stammering  is  a  spasmodic  action  of  the  mus- 
cles of  speech. 

Prognosis. — The  probability  of  a  cure  depends  upon  the  following  circum- 

3 


stances :  If  the  stammerer  has  a  cheerful  disposition,  is  distinguished  for 
energy  of  mind  and  decision  of  character,  can  appreciate  the  variations  of 
pitch  in  speech  and  song-,  or,  in  other  words,  has  an  ear  for  music  and  a  taste 
for  elocution,  the  prognosis  is  favourable.  But  if  he  is  of  a  nervous  tem- 
perament, subject  to  melancholy,  irresolute  of  purpose,  incapable  of  imitation 
in  speaking  and  singing,  the  prognosis  is  unfavourable. 

Treatment. — The  stammerer  should  be  impressed  with  the  importance, 
nay,  necessity,  of  giving  exclusive  attention  to  the  subject ;  and  he  should 
not  be  allowed  to  converse  with  any  one  till  he  can  speak  without  stammer- 
ing. These  rules  cannot  be  too  strongly  enforced.  I  am  fully  persuaded  of 
this  from  my  own  experience.  Several  stammerers,  who  have  placed  them- 
selves under  my  care,  taking  but  two  or  three  lessons  a  week,  and  attending 
to  their  usual  avocations,  have  left  me  disappointed ;  while  those  who  have 
given  undivided  attention  to  the  subject,  have  been  entirely  relieved.  True, 
many  are  more  or  less  benefited  even  by  occasionally  taking  a  lesson ;  but  it 
is  very  difficult,  by  any  irregular  course,  to  effect  a  radical  cure.  The  habit 
of  stammering  should  be  arrested  at  once ;  for,  while  it  is  continued,  how  is 
it  possible  that  the  habit  of  speaking  correctly  can  be  established  ? 

Great  pains  should  be  taken  to  inspire  the  stammerer  with  confidence. 
He  should  be  convinced  that  his  success  depends  mainly  upon  his  own  exer- 
tions: that  he  must  pursue  the  various  exercises  assigned  him  with  indefa- 
tigable zeal,  with  untiring  industry;  that  he  has  the  same  organs  of  speech 
as  other  people,  and  nothing  is  necessary  to  enable  him  to  use  them  as  well, 
but  a  conviction  in  his  ability  to  do  so.  To  think  that  one  can  do,  gives 
almost  the  ability  to  accomplish — but  to  think  that  one  cannot  do,  virtually 
takes  away  the  ability  to  do,  even  where  it  is  ample. 

Stammering  is  often  continued  by  the  subordinate  estimation  which  the 
stammerer  puts  upon  himself.  He  is  too  apt  to  consider  those  around  him 
giants  and  himself  a  dwarf.  As  this  estimation  of  himself  serves  to  per- 
petuate his  disease,  it  is  clear  that  its  remedy  must  be  found  in  making  him- 
self equal  to  any :  if  this  mental  classification  into  giants  and  dwarfs  must 
take  place,  let  the  stammerers  make  themselves  the  giants,  and  those  around 
them  the  dwarfs. 

The  teacher  should  study  the  disposition  of  his  pupil :  he  should  persuade 
him  to  banish  from  his  mind  all  melancholy  thoughts — in  short,  he  should  do 
every  thing  in  his  power  to  render  his  pupil  cheerful  and  happy. 

Various  athletic  exercises  should  be  resorted  to  daily,  to  invigorate  all  the 
muscles  of  voluntary  motion,  and  diminish  nervous  irritability.  In  some 
cases  it  may  be  necessary  to  have  recourse  to  tonics,  anti-spasmodics,  bathing 
in  salt  water,  frictions  over  the  whole  surface  of  the  body,  &c.  &c.  Elec- 
tricity may  be  used  with  advantage  as  a  tonic,  and  also  as  a  means  of  inter- 
rupting the  spasm  of  the  vocal  organs. 

The  vocal  treatment  is  deduced  from  the  following  circumstances : 

1.  An  ability  to  sing. 

2.  An  ability  to  speak  when  alone : 

3.  And  if  the  stammerer  must  speak  before  an  audience,  the  smaller  the 
audience  and  the  farther  he  is  removed  from  it,  the  better. 

4.  An  ability  to  speak  amidst  a  noise  that  is  sufficient  to  render  the  human 
voice  nearly  or  quite  inaudible. 


5.  An  ability  to  speak  better  in  the  dark  than  in  the  light. 

6.  An  ability  to  speak  in  a  measured  manner. 

7.  An  ability  to  speak  in  a  drawling'  manner. 

8.  An  ability  to  speak  with  the  mouth  more  or  less  distorted. 

9.  An  ability  to  speak  in  any  key,  either  higher  or  lower  than  that  in 
which  the  stammerer  usually  converses. 

10.  An  ability  to  speak  with  a  halloo. 

11.  An  ability  to  speak  when  the  attention  is  divided  or  arrested  by  some 
object  or  circumstance  more  or  less  irrelevant  to  the  subject. 

12.  An  ability  to  speak  in  concert  or  simultaneously.  Every  one  who  has 
learned  to  sing,  knows  how  much  easier  it  is  to  sing  in  concert  than  alone. 
All  the  exercises,  therefore,  for  the  cure  of  stammering,  should,  at  first,  be 
conducted  in  concert. 

Stammering  may  be  considered  a  fault  in  elocution,  the  result  of  defective 
education,  and  is  confirmed  by  habit.  If  children  were  properly  instructed 
in  speaking  and  reading,  this  affection  of  the  vocal  organs  would,  probably, 
seldom  or  never  occur.  Hence,  no  mode  of  treatment  that  is  not  founded  in 
just  elocution  or  the  correct  exercise  of  the  organs  of  speech  for  the  purposes 
of  vocal  expression,  can  be  relied  on.  This  must  appear  obvious  to  every 
intelligent  and  reflecting  mind.  The  stammerer  must  be  taught  how  to  give 
language  the  pitch,  time,  and  force  which  the  sense  requires.  To  effect  this, 
his  muscles  of  speech,  which  have  long  been  refractory,  must  be  trained  till 
they  are  brought  under  the  control  of  volition,  and  like  a  well  marshalled 
troop  of  soldiers,  made  to  act  in  harmonious  concert. 

Oral  language  may  be  resolved  into  certain  sounds  which  are  its  elements. 
Now  there  are  certain  positions  of  the  organs  of  speech  more  favourable  than 
others  for  the  production  of  the  elements.  The  stammerer  should  be  made 
thoroughly  acquainted  with  these  positions,  and,  in  connexion  with  them, 
should  be  required  to  exercise  his  voice  in  the  most  energetic  manner  upon 
all  the  elements  singly,  till  he  can  utter  them  without  hesitation.  He  should 
also  utter  them  in  various  combinations,  not  only  according  to  the  laws  of 
syllabication,  but  in  every  irregular  way.  The  vowels  should  be  exploded 
from  the  throat  with  great  force ;  and  they  should  be  sung,  as  well  as  pro- 
nounced with  the  rising  and  falling  inflection,  through  every  interval  of 
pitch  within  the  compass  of  the  voice. 

The  pupil  should  be  drilled  in  various  exercises  whose  highest  peculiarity 
is  time  and  force.  Time  may  be  measured  by  means  of  the  Metronome,  by 
beating  with  the  hand,  and  by  marching.*  Pitch,  time,  and  force  are  the 
elements  of  expression,  and  a  proper  combination  of  them  in  reading  and 
speaking,  constitutes  good  elocution.  When,  therefore,  the  stammerer  be- 
comes master  of  these  elements,  as  well  as  the  elements  of  the  language,  he 

*  Also  by  beating  with  the  dumb  bells.    (See  "  Practical  Elocution.") 

Dumb  bells  are  commonly  made  of  lead.     Those  used      |       > J       ) 

in  the  author's  Vocal  Gymnasium  are  turned  out  of  lig-  %^M          l^^ 

nuin  vittE.     They  are  one  foot  long,  and  four  inches  in  - — .          , — . 

diameter.     (See  the  cuts  in  the  margin.)  1^  b=ssJ     J 


may  commence  speaking  and  reading.  In  his  first  attempts  at  conversation, 
both  teacher  and  pupil  should  speak  in  a  deliberate  manner,  with  a  full,  firm 
tone  of  voice,  and  in  a  very  low  pitch. 

The  stammerer  should  now  commit  to  memory  a  short  piece  which  re- 
quires to  be  spoken  with  explosive  force ;  for  example, "  Satan's  speech  to  his 
legions."  The  members  of  the  class  should  stand  at  a  sufficient  distance 
from  each  other  to  prevent  their  hands  coming  in  contact  when  their  arms 
are  extended.  They  should  then  pronounce  the  speech  in  concert,  after  the 
teacher,  and  accompany  it  with  appropriate  gesticulation.  It  should  be 
repeated  again  and  again,  till  each  pupil  can  give  it  proper  expression,  both 
as  regards  voice  and  gesture.  Each  pupil  should  then  in  turn,  take  the  place 
of  the  teacher  and  give  out  the  speech  to  the  class.  To  prevent  the  pupil's 
stammering,  while  he  is  performing  the  teacher's  part,  the  teacher  himself 
should  play  an  accompaniment  on  the  violoncello,  violin,  organ,  drum,  or 
some  other  instrument.  At  first  the  notes  should  be  made  very  loud  ;  but  if 
the  effort  of  the  pupil,  standing  out  of  the  class,  is  likely  to  be  successful, 
they  should  gradually  be  made  softer  and  softer,  and,  finally,  the  accompani- 
ment omitted  altogether.  This  piece  should  be  pronounced  alternately  with 
one  which  requires  to  be  spoken  with  long  quantity  and  in  a  low  pitch,  as 
"  Ossian's  Address  to  the  Sun." 

When  the  pupil  has  mastered  these  two  kinds  of  reading,  he  may  take  up 
dignified  dialogue,  and,  lastly,  conversational  pieces.  He  should  drawl  out 
difficult  words,  which  are  generally  those  having  short  vowels  preceded  by 
labials,  dentals,  and  gutturals. 

In  very  bad  cases  of  stammering,  the  pupil  should  first  sing  the  words, 
then  drawl  them,  then  pronounce  them  with  very  long  quantity,  and  thus 
gradually  approximate  to  common  speaking. 

As  soon  as  the  pupils  can  speak  without  stammering,  they  should  recite 
singly  in  a  very  large  room,  or  in  the  open  air,  at  a  distance  i'rom  the  audi- 
ence, which,  at  first,  should  consist  of  the  members  of  the  class  only.  A 
few  visitors  should  be  occasionally  introduced,  and  the  number  should  be 
gradually  increased.  In  this  way  the  stammerer  will  soon  acquire  sufficient 
confidence  to  speak  before  a  large  assembly.  In  some  cases  it  may  be  expe- 
dient for  the  stammerer  to  recite  before  an  audience  in  a  dark  room;  but  as 
he  acquires  confidence,  light  should  be  gradually  admitted. 

Stammerers,  instead  of  speaking  immediately  after  inspiration,  as  they 
should  do,  often  attempt  to  speak  immediately  after  expiration,  when,  of 
course,  they  have  no  power  to  speak.  The  lungs,  like  a  bellows,  perform 
their  part  in  the  process  of  speaking,  best,  when  plentifully  supplied  with  air. 
This  is  an  important  fact,  and  should  be  remembered,  not  only  by  stam- 
merers,  but  also  by  those  who  have  occasion  to  read  or  speak  in  public. 
Loud  speaking,  long  continued,  with  the  lungs  but  partially  distended,  is 
very  injurious  to  these  organs :  it  is  apt  to  occasion  a  spitting  of  blood, 
which  is  not  unfrequcntly  a  precursor  of  pulmonary  consumption.  But  loud 
speaking,  with  proper  management  of  the  breath,  is  a  healthful  exercise  : 
besides  strengthening  the  muscles  which  it  calls  into  action,  it  promotes  the 
decarbonization  of  the  blood,  and,  consequently,  exerts  a  salutary  influence 
on  the  system  generally. 


II EV  ATI  OX. 


-    -       E.iitnr  of  the  Troy  [ 

-  -.—  Y    .  IK  .  .   ntlemanfrom  PI., 

is  now  giving:  lessons  in  Elocution :  bu:  not  aware  af  the 

meri-  s  system  in  many  res 

entirely  original,  in  others  founded  on  the  ini  .-   c^. 

s,  and  am  highly  gTati- 
tfaai  I  have  embraced  the  opportunity.     Some  who 

have  professed  to  teae..  in  our  city  1.  -  -   •        .tion, 

but  none  have  been  able  to  handle  -  _  ;t  Up ;  {^  treat- 

ment of  it  is  simple,  natural,  philosophical ;  he  i^  meet  any 

case  of  impediment  in  speaking-,  n  -;>eak 

or  read  at  all,  Dr.  Comstock  will  teach  him  to  do  it  well.     Musicians  also 
would  do  well  to  look  into  his 

force  and  melody  to  the  vo:  .  na.     And 

besides  the  improvement  in  sin^in^,  and  •  valuable  of  all  accom- 

plishments, ^good  reading,  there      another 

-.  which  is  far  more  important  than  either — it  prom  -   -  The 

plan  is  so  constructed  as  to  call  tbrth  ail  I  J  organs — 

the  lungs  particularly  "ding; 

to  his  system ;  and  in  this  view  of  the  s  suggest  to  our  phv- 

sicians,  who  in  general  evir  .1  prerenir  i 

well  as  removing  disease,  that  they  do  so  much  for  the  public  weal, 
call  on  Dr.  Comstock  that  they  may  know  the  advani.  5  vocal 

exercises. 

It  is  to  be  regretted  that  Dr.  Comstock  will  remain  but  a  short  time 
with  us ;  but  short  as  it  is,  those  who  wish  to  profit  bv  i;is  instructions  will 
have  time  to  do  so.  Y  oars,  F. 

Augrist  15,  1S34. 


From  the  Philadelphia  Commercial  Intelligencer,  A 

We  have  observed  with  pleasure  in  the  Troy  Whig  of  the  loth  instant, 
a  favourable  notice  of  that  excellent  Elocutionist  of  our  ci:  stock, 

He  is  giving  lessons  in  Elocution  at  Troy  with  mut 


F>-om  the  Troy  Daily  WUg  of  A>:gvst  30,  1534. 

DR.  OOMSTOCrTS  LECTURES. 

Mr.  Editor — Yesterday.  I  had  th  I  1  hear  an  interest 

ture  on  Elocution,  by  Andrew  Comstock,  M.  I 
phia.     He  undersl       -         elementary  sounds  of  the  English  Lans 

and  appears  to  have  entire  command  over  the  vocal  organs,     Eie  ex- 

G) 


fc  RECOMMENDATIONS. 

plums  the  movements  of  the  voire  by  diagrams,  and  measures  the  rario- 
tions  of  pitch  hy  the  musical  scale.  He  h^s  with  him  two  books  on  prac- 
tic;il  elocution,  of  which  he  is  the  author — the  Rhythmical  Reader,  which 
contains  pieces  adapted  to  the  taste  of  ladies,  and  Practical  Elocution, 
which  is  designed  for  gentlemen.  He  teaches  his  pupils  irom  these  hooks 
how  to  read  in  a  graceful  manner.  If  an  individual  has  a  feeble  voice,  it 
can  be  strengthened  ;  if  harsh,  softened,  by  pursuing  the  course  he  recom- 
mends. He  clearly  points  out  the  difference  between  boisterous  and  eh. 
quent  speaking;  and  he  shows  how  to  produce  a  great  effect  upon  a  public 
assembly,  with  very  little  effort. 

The  simplicity  and  power  of  the  organs  of  speech  furnish,  I  think,  suf- 
ficient reason  for  the  exclamation : 

"How  wonderful  is  man. 
How  passing  wonder  He 
Who  made  him  such." 

Whoever  wishes  to  attain  the  faculty  of  speaking  with  correctness  and 
elegance,  in  public  places,  and  in  the  social  circle,  would  do  well  to  call  and 
examine  the  system  for  themselves. 

A  Friend  to  the  Science  of  speaking  well. 


From  the  Troy  Daily  Budget  of  September  8,  1834. 
DR.  COMSTOCK'S  LECTURES. 

Mr.  Editor — There  is  no  branch  of  education  more  deserving  of  public 
attention  than  oratory.  Volumes  have  been  written  upon  it.  It  has  been 
cultivated,  as  a  science,  in  all  civilized  countries;  and  its  power  has  been 
universally  felt  and  acknowledged.  Its  use  and  importance  have  occupied 
the  attention  of  many  distinguished  men  of  our  own  and  other  countries. 
Were  it  otherwise,  orators  could  not  command,  as  they  now  do,  "  the  ap. 
plause  of  listening  senates."  To  speak  well  is  one  of  the  highest  attain- 
ments to  which  our  hopes  can  aspire. 

Permit  me,  Sir,  to  invite  those  who  wish  to  attain  this  invaluable  science, 
to  attend  Dr.  Conistock's  Lectures  on  Elocution,  at  the  Court  House.  Hia 
manner  of  reading  is  bold,  original,  and  striking.  I  have  attended  his 
Lectures  for  several  days ;  and,  in  common  with  his  other  pupils,  highly 
appreciate  them.  He  is,  in  the  opinion  of  all  who  have  heard  him  lecture, 
a  faithful,  capable,  and  excellent  elocutionist. 

A  Friend  to  Oratory 


Dr.  Comstock  has  been  instructing  my  pupils  two  hours  in  a  day  for 
two  weeks,  in  Elocution;  and  I  am  happy  in  having  an  opportunity  to 
bear  testimony  to  their  unexampled  improvement  in  reading  and  speaking 

G.  W.  Francis. 
Troy,  September  5,  1835 


'RECOMMENDATIONS.  9 

From  the  Philanthropist,  Philadelphia,  January  16,  1836. 
ELOCUTION. 

We  would  recommend  to  those  individuals  who  wish  to  become  chaste 
and  accomplished  speakers,  to  take  a  course  of  instruction  of  Dr.  Andrew 
Comstock,  whose  merits  as  an  elocutionist  we  have  had  the  opportunity  to 
prove. 

His  system,  which  has  the  best  claims  to  respect,  will  commend  itself 
to  persons  of  taste,  as  it  is  entirely  free  from  theatrical  affectation,  or  arti- 
ficial display,  and  founded  on  truth  and  nature.  Many  gentlemen  in  the 
learned  professions,  and  individuals  in  other  spheres  of  life,  who  have 
received  the  benefits  of  his  instruction,  and  who  are  therefore  the  well- 
qualified  judges  of  his  skill  in  this  science,  have  given  him  unsolicited 
and  unqualified  praise.     We  wish  him  continued  success. 


From  the  United  States  Gazette,  May  7,  1836. 
DR.  COMSTOCK'S  LECTURES  ON  ELOCUTION. 

Mr.  Editor  : — Having  occasion  on  my  return  from  Washington  to  New 
York,  to  stop  a  few  days  at  Philadelphia,  I  most  cheerfully  availed  myself 
of  the  opportunity  of  witnessing  the  exercises  in  Elocution  in  which  Dr 
Comstock's  pupils  are  engaged,  and  it  affords  me  pleasure  to  say,  that  I 
have  been  very  highly  gratified. 

The  skill  with  which  the  Doctor  imparts  to  his  pupils  a  knowledge  of 
the  science  and  art  of  Elocution,  and  the  proficiency  which  they  have 
already  made,  are  conclusive  evidences  that  Elocution  "  can  be  taught." 
It  was  taught  during  the  flourishing  ages  of  Greece  and  Rome.  Demos- 
thenes and  Cicero  studied  it  in  those  republics,  and  studied  it  thoroughly 
anterior  to  their  successful  appearance  before  their  fellow-citizens  as 
orators. 

I  wish,  Mr.  Editor,  that  some  of  our  members  of  Congress  could,  or 
rather  would,  put  themselves  under  the  tuition  of  Dr.  Comstock,  or  some 
other  accomplished  Elocutionist,  long  enough,  at  least,  to  learn  the  princi- 
ples upon  which  good  reading  and  speaking  are  founded.  If  our  national 
legislators  had  a  knowledge  of  Elocution,  as  taught  by  Dr.  Comstock,  they 
certainly  would  be  heard  with  much  more  attention  and  interest ;  and,  I 
may  add,  they  would  be  more  useful  to  the  country. 

Ministers  of  the  Gospel,  too,  by  becoming  first-rate  readers  and  speakers, 
can  promulgate  with  ease  and  facility,  the  truths  of  Christianity.  Rcli 
gion  has  suffered  much  in  consequence  of  the  bungling  manner  in  which 
preachers  and  professors  have  presented  it  to  the  world.  It  is  gratifying 
to  know  that  several  clergymen  are  now  taking  lessons  in  Elocution,  o? 
Dr  Comstock*  and  that  they  a-e  making  great  improvement. 


10  RECOMMENDATIONS. 

It  would  be  well  for  gentlemen  of  the  legal  profession,  to  study  the  hws 
of  Elocution,  as  well  as  those  of  the  land.  Ladies,  too,  ought  to  feel  in- 
terested in  improving  their  Elocution, — some  of  the  Philadelphia  ladies 
do ;  and  I  have  had  the  satisfaction  of  hearing  one  of  the  Doctor's  classes 
exercise,  the  members  of  which  are  becoming  excellent  readers. 

There  are  two  or  three  literary  institutions  in  which  Dr.  Comstock's 
valuable  services  have  been  retained.  It  is  to  be  regretted  that  any  ^semi- 
nary of  learning,  especially  any  college,  should  exist  without  a  professor- 
ship of  Elocution.  It  is  not  only  an  important  branch  of  education,  bu 
as  much  so  as  any  to  which  the  attention  of  youth  can  be  directed. 

S.  N.  S. 

CJ.  S.  Hotel,  May  2,  1836. 

From  the  Episcopal  Recorder,  Rev.  George  A.  Smith,  Editor. 
Philadelphia,  Saturday  Morning,  June  18,  183G. 

ELOCUTION. 

The  following  communication  is  from  the  United  States  Gazette.  The 
subject  is  one  of  importance,  and  we  are  enabled  from  our  own  observa- 
tion to  confirm  the  statements  of  the  writer.  Several  of  our  clergy  have 
attended  Dr.  Comstock's  lectures,  and  consider  the  system  which  he  has 
udopted  well  calculated  to  assist  in  ease  and  propriety  of  reading  and 
speaking. 

Mr.  Editor  : — Impressed  with  the  value  of  education,  and  inclined  to 
contribute  aught  in  my  power  to  aid  those  who  are  in  the  pursuit  of  its 
benefits,  allow  me,  through  your  columns,  to  make  a  public  expression  of 
my  sentiments,  regarding  the  character  of  Dr.  Andrew  Comstock,  as  a 
teacher  of  Elocution,  and  its  kindred  branches.  Having  been  a  common 
inmate  in  the  Doctor's  office  for  many  weeks,  examined  his  publications 
and  diagrams,  and  witnessed  his  method  of  instruction,  with  the  cheering 
success  by  which  it  has  been  characterised,  I  write  understandingly  upon 
this  occasion. 

From  the  Doctor's  knowledge  of  our  organs  of  speech,  of  their  diseases 
and  remedies,  and  the  best  mode  of  imparting  to  them  vigour  and  activity — 
from  his  knowledge  of  the  laws  of  sound,  ample  experience  in  his  present 
vocation,  joined  with  his  acknowledged  integrity,  I  am  persuaded  he  is 
eminently  qualified  to  sustain  his  highest  pretensions  as  a  scientific  and 
practical  Elocutionist. 

Dr.  Comstock's  mode  of  instruction  is  founded  in  the  philosophy  of  his 
subject,  is  abundantly  successful  in  its  application — stands  the  scrutiny  of 
talents — challenges  the  confidence  of  society. 

Graduates  from  our  halls  of  science,  gentlemen  of  the  learned  profes 
sions — ladies  of  cultivated  minds,  have  been  pleased  to  testify  the  esscn 
tial  advantage  they  have  derived  from  his  lectures. 

I  have  myself  been  much  delighted  in  seeing  the  rapid,  material,  and 
ofttimea  complete  improvement  which  unfortunate  stammerers  have  made 
under  his  tuition,  in  their  enunciation — while  teacher  and  pupils  cordiallv 
indulged  in  theii  mutual  congratulations.  A  CLERGYMAN 


'     RECOMMENDATIONS.  H 

From  the  U.  S.  Gazette. 
STAMMERING  CURED  BY  DR.  COMSTOCK 

Mr.  Editor  : — Having-  experienced,  to  a  very  painful  extent,  the  many 
privations  necessarily  and  peculiarly  connected  with  inveterate  stammer 
big-,  to  which  I  have  been  subject  from  early  life,  I  am  anxious  thus  to 
acknowledge  the  restoration  that  has  been  effected  in  my  case,  under  the 
instruction  of  Dr.  Comstock.  Knowing-,  as  I  well  do,  how  valuable  such 
a  communication  would  have  once  been  to  me,  I  am  induced  to  pen  thia 
for  the  benefit  of  others. 

My  articulation,  until  very  lately,  was  so  embarrassing-  and  difficult,  as 
to  have,  in  a  very  great  degree,  shut  out  from  me  the  pleasure  of  conver- 
sation. I  could  scarcely  articulate  a  single  sentence  without  considerable 
effort  on  my  part,  and  apparent  anxiety  and  pain  to  others.  I  therefore 
seldom  spoke  from  choice,  and  even  avoided,  when  possible,  the  necessity 
of  doing-  so.  I  am,  however,  no  longer  subjected  to  these  severe  depriva- 
tions, but  so  relieved  from  them,  that  I  can  now  converse  with  friends  or 
strangers,  and  feel  confident  of  my  power  to  do  so. 

Many  years  ago,  and  at  some  expense  and  trouble,  I  sought  out  Mr 
Chapman,  a  teacher  then  of  considerable  notoriety,  and  placed  myself  im- 
mediately under  his  care.  Of  him  I  do  not  complain,  but  notice  the  fact 
as  part  of  my  experience.  Those  who  are  aware  of  his  injunctions  know 
how  impossible  it  is  here  to  compare  the  peculiarities  of  his  plan  with  the 
principles  of  my  last  tutor's,  whose  system,  however,  I  should  unhesi- 
tatingly prefer.  A.  EVANS. 

Philadelphia,  June  24,  1836. 


A  gentleman  named  Abner  Evans  called  on  me  a  few  weeks  ago,  and 
desired  me  to  examine  him,  in  his  conversation  and  in  his  reading 
with  reference  to  stammering  in  his  speech.  He  informed  me  that  he 
was  34  years  of  age — that  he  had  been  an  inveterate  stammerer  from  his 
infancy ;  but  that  he  had,  about  two  weeks  before  that  time,  placed  him- 
self under  the  care  of  Dr.  Andrew  Comstock,  and  that  he  now  believed 
himself  cured  of  the  infirmity  under  which  he  had  so  long  laboured.  I 
examined  the  gentleman  with  considerable  care,  and  was  unable  to  dis- 
cover anything  like  stammering,  or  embarrassment  or  impediment  in  his 
speech,  either  in  conversation  or  reading. 

JOHN  H.  WILLITS. 

July  15th,  1836. 


I  certify,  that  I  have  known  Mr.  A.  Evans  for  a  number  of  years,  that 
he  was  an  irveterate  stammerer,  and  that  he  was  completely  relieved  in 
two  weeks,  under  the  instruction  of  Dr.  Comstock.  I  will  further  add, 
that  I  am  intimately  acquainted  with  Dr.  C,  that  he  has  devoted  several 
years  to  the  study  of  the  subject  which  he  professes  to  teach,  and  that  I 
believe  he  is  fully  prepared  to  meet  any  case  of  impediment  in  reading  or 
speaking  JOS.  P.  MUSGRAVE,  M.  D. 

No.  142,  Pine  Street,  Phila.,  July  16,  183^ 


12  RECOMM  EN  DATIONS. 

From  the  Public  Ledger,  July  27,  1S37. 

Re?narks  on  Stammering-: — We  have  received  a  small  pamphlet  with  this 
title,  being'  the  substance  ot'a  lecture  delivered  before  the  American  Lyceum, 
May  6,  IS.'JT,  by  Andrew  Comstock,  M.  D.,  of  this  city.  He  has  treated  bis 
subject  scientifically,  and  in  a  manner  showing  that  he  understands  the 
human  voice  both  theoretically  and  practically.  He  has  been  engaged  ibr  ten 
years,  investigating  the  human  voice,  for  the  purpose  of  forming  a  system  of 
just  elocution,  and  of  removing  impediments  of  speech ;  and  from  reading 
this  little  pamphlet,  we  should  infer  that  he  had  been  successful. 


From  the  United  States  Gazette. 

Congress  Hall,  Philadelphia,  Nov.  25,  1837. 
Andrew  Comstock,  M.  D. 

Dear  Sir, — Before  leaving  your  city,  allow  me  to  express  to  you  the  perfect 
satisfaction  I  feel,  in  witnessing  the  progress  which  my  son  has  made  in 
Elocution  under  your  instruction. 

The  habit  of  stammering  which  commenced  with  his  early  efforts  to  speak, 
and  which  thirteen  years  (his  present  age)  seemed  only  to  confirm,  is  now, 
with  six  weeks'  instruction,  completely  eradicated. 

Though  delighted  beyond  expression  in  this  result,  I  am  not  disappointed. 
From  the  moment  I  became  acquainted  with  your  method  of  instruction,  I 
did  not  doubt  its  entire  success.  Founded  on  scientific  principles,  it  must 
succeed  in  all  cases  where  there  is  no  malformation  of  the  organs  of  speech. 

You  have  reduced  to  a  system  what  before  was  but  imperfectly  understood, 
and  done  most  essential  service  to  mankind  in  elevating  a  numerous  class  of 
unfortunate  fellow-beings,  and  saved  them  from  the  impositions  of  ignorant 
and  unprincipled  empirics. 

Very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

E.  PIERCE,  M.D.  of  Athens,  N.  Y. 


From  the  Public  Ledger,  March  17,  1838. 
STAMMERING  CURED. 

Philadelphia,  March  1,  1838. 
Messrs.  Editors, — Being  about  to  leave  this  city  for  the  West,  I  would 
thank  you  to  give  publicity  to  my  testimony  as  to  the  skill  of  Dr.  Andrew 
Comstock,  No.  100,  Arch  street,  Philadelphia,  in  removing  stammering.  I 
have  been  under  his  care  about  eight  weeks,  for  the  removal  of  a  painful 
impediment  of  eighteen  years,  standing,  which  debarred  roe  from  the  plea- 
sures of  conversation  and  social  intercourse.  I  can  novv  converse  very 
fluently,  and   have  addressed   large  audiences  without  the  least  hesitation. 


'RECOMMENDATIONS.  13 

I  am  now  23  years  of  age,  and  you  can  judge  of  my  gratitude  to  him  for 
removing  a  complaint  which  has  embittered  the  greatest  part  of  my  life.  I 
take  great  pleasure  in  recommending  him  to  those  similarly  afflicted.  His 
system  being  founded  on  scientific  principles,  and  the  fact  of  his  being  the 
only  individual  in  America,  who  professes  the  cure  of  stammering,  without 
enacting  from  his  patient  a  promise  of  secrecy,  proves  that  his  system  will 
bear  investigation. 

WM.  R.  COMBS. 

We  certify  that  we  have  been  intimately  acquainted  with  Wm.  R.  Combs 
for  the  last  thr"ee  years;  that  he  was  a  very  bad  stammerer,  and  that  he  was 
entirely  relieved  under  the  instruction  of  Dr.  Andrew  Comstock,  of  No.  100, 
Arch  street,  Philadelphia. 

John  R.  Beck,  No.  17,  Elizabeth  st. 

Thomas  J.  White,  No.  380,  N.  Second  st 

Jacob  Grim,  No.  480,  N.  Third  st. 

Thomas  P.  Heyl,  No.  173,  Green  st. 


STAMMERING  CURED. 

Philadelphia,  March  9,  1838. 
Messrs.  Editors, — About  seven  weeks  since  I  placed  myself  under  the 
care  of  Dr.  Andrew  Comstock,  No.  100,  Arch  street,  Philadelphia,  for  the 
removal  of  an  impediment  in  my  speech,  with  which  I  had  been  afflicted  for 
thirteen  years.  I  am  now  happy  to  state  that  I  am  able  to  converse  with 
ease  and  fluency,  and  that  I  feel  no  hesitation  in  speaking  in  public.  I  have 
witnessed  the  same  happy  results  in  many  other  cases,  both  of  ladies  and 
gentlemen.  I  have  not  a  doubt  of  his  success  in  curing  the  most  inveterate 
stammerer.  Unlike  all  others  who  have  professed  to  cure  stammering  in  this 
country,  Dr.  Comstock  exacts  no  promise  of  secrecy  from  his  patient. 

HENRY  J.  ENNIS, 
No.  248,  Pearl  street,  New-York. 


From  the  Phoenix  Civilian,  Cumberland,  Md.,  May  19,  1838. 

Our  acquaintance  with  the  young  gentleman  mentioned  below,  who  has 
received  the  benefit  of  Dr.  Comstock's  treatment  in  the  cure  of  an  impedi. 
ment  of  speech  under  which  he  laboured,  enables  us  to  bear  evidence  of  the 
efficacy  of  that  treatment.  Since  his  return  from  Philadelphia,  where  he 
had  been  under  Dr.  Comstock's  care  for  a  short  time,  we  find  that  his  speech 
is  free  and  easy ;  so  much  so,  that  had  we  not  been  aware  of  the  great  diffi- 
culty under  which  he  laboured  before,  we  should  not  now  know  that  he  ever 
had  been  cured  of  such  an  affliction. 


14  RECOMMENDATIONS. 

From  the  Pennsylvanian,  Philadelphia,  April  26,  1838. 
A  GRATIFYING  TESTIMONIAL. 

The  subjoined  letter  to  Dr.  Comstock,  Professor  of  Elocution,  of  this  city, 
is  from  a  young-  gentleman  of  great  respectability,  residing  at  Cumberland, 
Allegany  county,  Maryland,  where  his  father  is  one  of  the  leading  prac- 
titioners at  the  bar.  The  writer  of  the  letter,  who,  we  believe,  is  a  student 
at  law,  laboured  under  a  serious  impediment  in  speech,  which  would  have 
greatly  interfered  with  his  professional  advancement;  but  it  appears  from  his 
own  statement,  that  under  the  care  of  Dr.  Comstock,  he  was  completely  and 
radically  cured.  The  letter  subjoined,  is  a  voluntary  and  grateful  testimonial 
to  that  effect. 

Cumberland,  Md.,  April  20,  1838. 
Dr.  Andrew  Comstock  : 

Dear  Sir, — I  have  deferred  giving  a  certificate  with  regard  to  the  success 
I  met  with  in  my  recent  visit  to  your  Institution,  No.  100,  Arch  sireet,  Phi- 
ladelphia, for  the  purpose  of  removing  an  impediment  in  my  speech,  until 
the  present  period,  that  I  might  thoroughly  test  the  effects  of  your  system 
upon  my  articulation  by  time  and  experience.  Both  of  these,  I  am  happy 
to  inform  you,  find  me  now — as  was  the  case  when  I  left  Philadelphia  on 
the  13th  of  February  last — perfectly  fluent  in  reading  as  well  as  in  conversa- 
tion— so  much  so,  that  it  would  be  impossible  for  any  one  who  had  no  pre- 
vious knowledge  of  my  impediment,  to  know  that  any  such  defect  ever 
afflicted  me. 

But  besides  the  happy  effect  your  system  has  had  in  relieving  my  impedi- 
ment, it  has  been  of  incalculable  benefit  to  me  in  many  other  respects.  My 
voice,  which  was  formerly  weak,  and  incapable  of  being  raised  very  little 
higher  than  the  ordinary  tone  used  in  common  conversation,  has  been 
greatly  improved  and  strengthened ;  and  now  it  costs  me  but  a  slight 
physical  effort  to  fill  a  considerable  space. 

In  conclusion,  I  unhesitatingly  recommend  all  those  similarly  afflicted,  to 
make  a  trial  of  your  system.  Besides  the  success  which  has  attended  it  in 
my  own  case,  I  have  seen  many  others  greatly  benefited — both  ladies  and 
gentlemen.  This  speaks  more  strongly  in  its  favour  than  words  can  express, 
and  should  remove  all  doubt  from  the  minds  of  individuals,  if  any  exist,  as 
to  its  efficacy  in  effecting  a  cure. 

Very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

CHARLES  H  J.  PIGMAN. 


RECOMMENDATIONS.  15 

From  the  Philadelphia  Saturday  Courier,  October  29,  1836. 

CURE  FOR  STAMMERING. 
A  young1  gentleman  named  Samuel  E.  Duiiield,  of  M'Connclsburg,  in 
this  state,  called  upon  us  the  other  day,  and  wished  us  to  state  that  lie  has 
always  been  subject  to  a  natural  impediment  of  speech,  which  of  lute  years 
haa  been  increasing  upon  him.  He  visited  this  city,  placed  himself  under 
the  care  of  Dr.  Comstock,  and  has  been  entirely  cured.  He  can  speak  and 
read  with  as  much  fluency  as  though  he  had  never  been  subject  to  any 
impediment  of  speech.  ■ 

From  the  United  States  Gazette,  Philadelphia,  Oct.  31,  1336. 
STAMMERING. 

We  had  on  Saturday  the  pleasure  of  listening  to  the  reading,  recitation 
and  discourse  of  a  pupil  of  Dr.  Comstock,  who  has  been  with  him  less 
than  three  weeks,  and  was  from  his  infancy  a  stammerer,  the  evil  increasing 
with  the  growth  of  the  youth,  and  with  his  intercourse  with  society.  He 
is  now  able  to  speak  and  read  without  the  least  sign  of  hesitancy.  Dr. 
Comstock's  system  is  simple,  and,  as  it  appears,  efficacious,  and  he  affects 
no  mystery  :  we  trust  that  those  who  are  subject  to  the  painful  inconveni- 
ence of  stammering,  will  apply  to  him;  and  we  really  believe  that  if  they 
will  give  attention  to  his  rules,  they  may  be  entirely  cured. 


From  the  Philadelphia  Gazette,  Nov.  29,  1836. 
The  following  tribute  to  the  skill  of  a  Gentleman  whose  success  in  a 
very  difficult  profession  has  been  astonishing,  is  not  less  grateful  to  the  ob- 
ject of  it  himself,  than  it  is  useful  to  the  public  at  large.     We  perform  a 
general  benefit  by  giving  it  currency  through  the  press. 
Letter  to  Dr.  Comstock,  of  Philadelphia. 

M'Connelsburg,  Nov.  13,  1836. 
Dear  Sir  ; — My  son  has  returned  from  the  city,  after  an  absence  of  about 
four  weeks,and  I  cannot  refrain  from  acknowledging  my  unfeigned  satisfac- 
tion  in  the  improvement  of  his  speech.  Before  he  left  home  it  gave  me 
pain  to  hear  him  attempt  to  speak ;  now  I  will  defy  any  person  to  know 
he  had  ever  been  a  stammerer.  I  do  cordially  recommend  all  who  have 
an  impediment  in  their  speech,  if  possible  to  avail  themselves  of  your  sys 
tem  for  the  cure  of  stammering.     I  am,  with  respect,  yours,  &c. 

.       WILLIAM  DUFFIELD. 

From  the  United  States  Gazette. 
STAMMERING. 
We  publish  a  communication  from  the  Rev.  O.  C.  Comstock,  Chaplain 
to  Congress,  upon  the  merits  of  his  relative,  Dr.  A.  COMSTOCK,  of  this 
city,  as  a  professor  of  Elocution.  From  some  knowledge  of  the  scientific 
gentleman  alluded  to,  and  the  great  success  which  has  attended  his  exer- 
tions in  the  cure  of  stammering,  we  cordially  endorse  the  testimony.  The- 
Rev.  Dr.  Comstock,  of  Washington,  being  himself  an  eloquent  divine, 
much  credit  may  be  attached  to  his  opinions  on  a  topic  so  entirely  within 
his  sphere. 

Lutter  to  the  Editor,  from  the  Rev.  O.  C.  Comstock,  Chaplain  to  Conjrress. 

Washington,  January  26,  1837. 
Sir  — Tn  this  age  of  arrogant  pretension  and  stupendous  humbuggery 


1G  RECOMMENDATIONS. 

the  public  should  receive  with  becoming  caution,  every  announcement  of 
extraordinary  achievements  in  any  of  the  departments  of  useful  knowledge. 
The  wonderful  exploits  of  ignorant  and  unprincipled  pretenders,  are  fre- 
quently lauded  to  the  skies,  in  the  newspaper  paragraphs  of  anonymous 
writers.  Disdaining  to  impose  on  honest  credulity,  by  making  an  asser- 
tion where  I  cannot  establish  a  fact — indisposed  to  avoid  an}'  responsibility 
tli at  may  be  attached  to  my  character,  I  will  not  be  induced  to  do  so  upon 
this  occasion,  by  withholding  my  humble  name  from  this  article,  in  con- 
sequence of  the  delicate  collateral  relation  subsisting  between  myself  and 
the  talented  and  honourable  gentleman  to  whom  it  alludes — I  mean  Dr.  A. 
Comstock,  of  Philadelphia.  The  Dr.  before  and  since  his  graduation  at  the 
university  of  Pennsylvania,  has  been  muchemployed  in  theeducation  of  youth. 

The  books  and  diagrams  which  he  has  published,  illustrating  the  true 
principles  of  elocution,  and  the  methods  by  which  it  can  be  most  successfully 
taught — the  high  state  of  improvement  witnessed  and  admired,  in  the  voice, 
reading  and  speaking  of  his  pupils,  render  him  deservedly  celebrated  as 
an  elocutionist,  wherever  his  reputation  is  known. 

But  I  should  not  have  obtruded  these  remarks  upon  the  consideration  of 
your  readers,  would  they  not  conduce  to  a  better  understanding  of  the  follow- 
ing intelligence,  which  I  hope  may  subserve  the  interests  of  suffering 
humanity. 

My  friend  has  removed,  in  numbers  of  unfortunate  stammerers,  that  most 
embarrassing  and  painful  difficulty  of  enunciation  with  which  they  have 
been  affected.  Some  of  these  sufferers  had  been  long  schooled  by  others, 
with  reference  to  the  removal  of  this  calamity,  with  little  or  no  success. 

That  a  cure,  in  this  case,  is  an  object  most  ardently  to  be  desired,  is  deeply 
felt  by  every  victim  of  this  misfortune — by  every  fond  parent,  who,  but  for 
stammering,  might  regard  his  darling  boy  a  fair  candidate  for  the  highest 
academic  honours — the  applause  of  listening  Senates.  There  is  now  before 
my  mental  vision  a  lovely  boy  of  great  promise,  on  whom  his  parents  design 
to  bestow  a  finished  education  ;  but  who,  alas  !  was  painfully  afflicted  with 
stammering.  He  is  now,  however,  under  the  tuition  of  Dr.  Comstock.  greatly 
improving  in  his  elocution  ;  inspiring  the  confident  expectation  of  perfect 
victory  over  the  source  .of  so  much  unhappiness.  The  sparkling  animation 
of  his  eye — his  cheering  smiles — express  the  rapture  of  his  grateful  heart. 
The  thankfulness  and  joyful  anticipation  of  his  parents  cannot  be  described, 
or  even  imagined,  but  by  those  in  similar  circumstances. 

Having  spent  some  months  with  my  relative,  I  am  well  acquainted  with 
his  system,  and  manner  of  instruction,  and  its  delightful  results. 

Unlike  all  sorts  of  imposture,  there  is  no  affectation  of  superlative  wisdom 
held  as  a  profound  secret,  in  the  theory  and  practice  of  this  valuable  art — 
as  triumphantly  explored  and  applied  by  the  Doctor.  His  course  of  opera- 
tion is  founded  in  an  extensive  knowledge  of  his  subject — the  fruit  of  his 
ample  study  and  practice.  His  discipline  developes,  invigorates,  and  ren- 
ders flexible  the  organs  of  speech.  He  teaches  his  pupils  how  these  organs 
are  to  be  properlv  exercised.  They  are  made  obedient  to  the  will — capable 
of  much  and  various  accomplishments.  In  short,  he  cures  stammerers,  by 
teaching  them  scientific  and  practical  elocution. 

How  much  reason  have  we  to  rejoice  in  the  march  of  mind — the  efforts 
of  philanthropy — the  benevolence  of  God.     Yours,  with  respect, 

O.  C.  COMSTOCK 


RECOMMENDATIONS.  17 

Certificates  from  Professor  Homer  and  Professor  Hare,  of  the  Univer- 
sity of  Pennsylvania. 

Having1  been  present  on  the  10th  inst.  at  the  exercises  of  the  pupils  in  Dr 
Andrew  Comstock's  Gymnasium,  for  the  improvement  of  the  voice  and  of 
the  articulation  in  stammerers  and  others,  the  impression  made  upon  me  was 
highly  favourable  to  his  method  of  instruction. 

The  system  is  founded  upon  an  exact  anatomical  and  physiological  inform- 
ation, in  regard  to  the  organs  concerned  in  the  production  and  modification 
of  sound.  Its  several  parts  appear  to  have  been  evolved  and  matured  upon  a 
degree  of  thought  and  an  extent  of  experiment  reflecting  much  credit  upon 
his  sagacity  and  industry,  and  it  inspires  a  very  strong  confidence  of  its  ap- 
plicability to  the  faults  generally  of  speech  or  phonation.  One  of  his  pupils, 
who  only  a  week  before  the  occasion  alluded  to,  had  been  a  most  unpleasant 
stammerer,  was  then  heard  to  recite  publicly  with  great  ease  and  fluency, 
with  a  full  intonation.  W.  E.  HORNER,  M.  D. 

Professor  of  Anatomy  in  the  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Philadelphia,  Aug,  11,  1837. 

Philadelphia,  Aug.  14th,  1837. 
Having  been  present  on  the  occasion  alluded  to  in  the  preceding  letter  of 
the  Professor  of  Anatomy,  I  have  no  hesitation  in  alleging  that  my  impres- 
sions are  consistent  with  those  which  my  colleague  has  therein  expressed. 

ROBERT  HARE,  M.  D. 
Professor  of  Chemistry  in  the  University  of  Pennsylvania. 


From  the  Select  Medical  Library  and  Eclectic  Journal  of  Medicine, 
edited  by  John  Bell,  M.  D.,  Lecturer  on  the  Institutes  of  Medicine 
and  Medical  Jurisprudence,  Member  of  the  College  of  Physicians 
of  Philadelphia,  and  of  the  American  Philosophical  Society,  etc. 
September,  1837. 

COMSTOCK'S  VOCAL  GYMNASIUM  AND  LYCEUM  FOR 
ELOCUTION. 

It  is  not  necessary  that  a  man  should  be  a  stammerer,  in  order  to  be  aware, 
from  personal  experience,  of  his  imperfection  in  vocal  utterance  and  speech. 
We  are  taught  to  read  and  to  express  ourselves  grammatically  in  conversa- 
tion ;  but  how  few  learn  suitable  intonation,  and  a  full  and  a  distinct  utter, 
ance, — by  which  speech  obtains  much  of  its  charm  and  acquires  often  all  its 
influence.  Graceful  gestures  in  walking  and  dancing,  and  in  presenting 
one's  self  in  company,  are  thought  by  many  to  be  of  paramount  importance; 
and  hence,  as  a  matter  of  course,  the  majority  of  young  persons  of  both  sexea 
are  placed  under  the  direction  of  a  teacher  of  dancing.  And  yet,  after  all, 
what  are  the  graces  of  manner  compared  to  the  melody  of  voice;  and  how 
imperfect  the  address  of  the  otherwise  accomplished  gentleman  or  lady,  with- 
out full  and  mellifluous  speech !  Nature  here,  as  in  all  that  concerns  either 
bodily  or  mental  endowment,  does,  it  is  true,  establish  great  differenced 
amongst  individuals.  One  person  has,  naturally,  a  musical  voice,  as  it  is 
called  ;  another  a  harsh  or  somewhat  dissonant  one.    But  still,  education  pos 


18  RECOMMENDATIONS. 

Besses,  we  also  know,  a  good  deal  of  plastic  power;  and  in  no  case  is  the  in. 
tluencu  of  physical  education  more  evident  than  in  the  strength  which  exer- 
cise gives  to  the  muscles  in  general,  and  in  the  agility  and  grace  which  prac. 
tice  imparts  to  the  movements  of  the  limbs;  as  in  the  evolutions  of  the  dance, 
and  on  the  tight  rope,  &c.  On  the  same  principle  precisely,  without  any 
charm,  magic  or  mystification,  can  the  muscles  which,  by  their  successive  or 
alternate  and  combined  action,  give  rise  to  voice  and  speech,  be  educated  into 
strength  and  measured  and  harmonious  movement,  and  produce  clear  and 
full  intonation,  distinct  articulation,  and  emphatic  utterance. 

This  particular  department  of  muscular  exercise  and  education,  has  greater 
claims  on  our  time  and  attention  than  any  other.  The  organs  of  speech,  with 
few  unfortunate  exceptions,  are  possessed  by  all  mankind ;  they  are  in  con- 
stant use  by  all, — their  functions  are  of  the  highest  moment  to  all,  whether 
for  the  display  of  the  charms  of  song  and  poetry,  the  persuasion  of  oratory, 
the  invocation  of  prayer,  and  the  numberless  exchanges  of  opinion  and  ex- 
pression of  the  affections  and  emotions  in  social  intercourse.  The  most  rigid 
puritan  or  methodist,  who  would  regard  with  distaste,  perhaps  horror,  the  ex- 
ercises of  the  dance,  and  attach  no  importance  to  the  graces  of  bodily  move- 
ment, will  still  be  as  naturally  and  properly  desirous  of  cultivating  the  voice, 
as  the  greatest  stickler  for  worldly  accomplishments.  He  does  it  in  learning 
to  sing  the  praises  of  his  Maker,  and  when  engaged  in  the  solemn  exercises 
of  prayer  and  exhortation. 

With  the  other  sex,  the  charm  of  voice  is  a  powerful  means  of  persuasion 
and  control.  It  gives  to  woman  much  of  her  influence — an  influence  de- 
pending on  the  mildness  of  her  manner,  and  her  soft  and  musical  tones,  dis- 
played in  the  language  of  sympathy,  entreaty,  and  of  kind  remonstrance. 
Her's  is  the  privilege  and  the  duty  to  be  at  the  side  of  the  suffering  invalid, 
in  infancy,  in  youth,  and  in  mature  age;  to  comfort  the  mourner,  and  to  aid 
the  poor  and  distressed.  And  what  makes  the  potions  to  the  feverish  patient 
less  nauseous — what  gives  balm  to  the  language  of  resignation,  and  imparts 
the  glow  of  pleasure  to  the  wan  and  weary  beggar,  when  she  is,  in  each 
case,  the  ministering  angel !  Much  is  in  the  pitying  look,  much  in  the  in- 
clining gesture  and  softened  manner  ;  but  still  more  in  the  tones  of  her  voice, 
her  low  and  smoothly  uttered  words  of  solace  and  of  hope. 

Why  then  should  this  instrument,  which  is  capable  of  giving  out  such  ex- 
quisite music,  be  jarred  and  discordant  in  its  tones,  through  early  neglect  and 
bad  habits.  It  has  been  said  by  European  travellers  of  both  sexes,  that  Amer- 
ican women  would  be  in  all  respects  charming,  but  for  their  want  of  melody 
of  voice  in  common  speech.  Surely  this  stigma,  for  such  in  one  sense  it  is, 
might  be,  and  ought  to  be  removed,  just  as  the  flutter,  agitation,  and  jerking 
movements  of  the  body  and  limbs  would  be  corrected,  by  appropriate  exercise 
and  training  under  tasteful  guidance  and  precept. 

Still  more  necessary  is  this  kind  of  education  where  the  imperfection 
amounts  to  disease,  as  in  hesitancy,  stammering,  and  other  imperfect  articu- 
lation. The  cure  requires  time,  patience  on  the  part  both  of  the  invalid  and 
of  the  vocal  doctor,  and  practice  in  the  manner  which  scientific  experience, 
not  impudent  and  boastful  quackery,  has  shown  to  be  most  serviceable,  so  as 
to  give  that  confidence  which  is  the  result  of  conscious  ability.  The  timidity 
and  feeling  of  embarrassment  of  the  stammerer,  are  both  effects  and  sustain- 
ing causes  of  his  impediment.     So  soon  as  he  knows  that  his  vocal  organs 


^RECOMMENDATIONS.  19 

are  capable  of  obeying  the  commands  of  his  will,  and  of  giving  expression 
to  his  thoughts,  his  mind  acts  with  more  energy  and  intentncss ;  and  lie  no 
longer  allows  himself  to  be  trammelled  in  his  speech,  by  the  weak,  tremulous 
and  convulsive  movements  of  the  muscles,  which,  under  less  energetic  voli. 
tion,  used  to  be  so  common  with  him. 

When  we  wrote  the  caption  of  this  article,  we  did  not  intend  to  direct  the 
attention  of  our  professional  brethren  merely  to  the  existing  evils,  but  were 
desirous  to  apprize  them  of  the  fact,  that  one  of  our  own  number  has  for  many 
years  past  concentrated  his  talents  and  his  time  exclusively  to  the  subject  of 
Elocution,  both  in  its  hygienic  relations  with  fluent  speech  in  private  and 
public,  in  the  social  circle  and  at  the  bar,  the  pulpit  and  the  legislative  hall 
and,  also,  in  its  curative  character,  to  remove  stammering  and  other  impedi- 
ments  to  clear  and  distinct  articulation  and  utterance.  The  gentleman  to 
whom  we  refer,  is  Dr.  Andrew  Comstock  of  this  city.  He  makes  no  preten. 
sion  to  a  knowledge  of  any  specific  for  the  cure  of  stammerers,  nor  does  he 
attempt  to  shroud  his  method  in  unintelligible  jargon,  nor  to  conceal  it  from 
public  and  scientific  investigation,  by  swearing  his  pupils  to  secrecy.  All 
these  are  arts  and  tricks  unworthy  of  the  literary  and  professional  character, 
and  disreputable,  above  all,  to  him  who  professes  to  be  a  teacher,  and  in  whom 
manly  sincerity  ought  ever  to  shine  conspicuously,  as  an  example  to  those 
under  his  charge. 

In  Doctor  Cornstock's  Institution,  "  Elocution  is  treated  as  a  science  as  well 
as  an  art.  The  various  movements  of  the  voice,  both  in  speech  and  song, 
are  illustrated  by  original  diagrams,  and  by  oral  instruction.  The  exercises 
give  the  pupil  complete  command  of  the  muscles  of  articulation,  extend  the 
compass  of  the  voice  and-  render  it  smooth,  powerful,  and  melodious.  They 
not  only  call  forth  all  the  energies  of  the  vocal  organs,  correct  stammering, 
lisping,  and  other  impediments  of  speech ;  but  they  invigorate  the  lungs,  and 
consequently  fortify  them  against  the  invasion  of  disease."  To  a  certain  ex- 
tent, general  is  associated  with  vocal  gymnastics ;  and  one  great  cause  of  em- 
barrassment from  awkwardness  of  manner  and  posture  in  the  stammerer,  is 
removed  by  the  substitution  of  a  free  and  easy  carriage  and  movements  of  the 
arms  in  gesticulation.  In  other  words,  all  the  voluntary  muscles  of  the  trunk 
and  limbs  move  in  the  order  required  by  the  will,  synchronously  and  harmo- 
niously with  those  of  the  voice. 

In  proof  that  Doctor  Comstock  is  above  the  petty  arts  of  making  elocution 
a  mere  craft  and  mystery,  we  have  now  before  us,  Remarks  on  Stammering, 
from  a  Lecture  on  Elocution,  delivered  before  the  American  Lyceum,  May  6, 
1 837,  in  which  he  explains  the  chief  features  of  his  system,  and  indicates  the 
kind  and  order  of  exercises  to  be  pursued  for  the  cure  of  Stammerers.  But 
like  all  other  branches  of  professional  knowledge,  this  can  only  be  rendered 
efficient  and  applicable  to  the  cure  of  individual  cases  by  a  practitioner,  a 
person  who  directs  knowingly  and  understandingly,  and  superintends  care- 
fully and  patiently,  the  treatment,  making  such  modifications  as  seem  to  be 
called  for  by  his  own  personal  experience  and  the  idiosyncracy  of  the  patient 


DR.  COMSTOCK'S 
EXHIBITIONS  IN  VOCAL  GYMNASTICS. 

The  STAMMERERS  under  Dr.  Comstock,  both  Ladies 
and  Gentlemen,  give  a  variety  of  recitations,  at  the  Vocal 
Gymnasium,  (entrance  by  Ranstead  Court,  Fourth  St.  above 
Chesnut,)  every  Tuesday  evening. 

TICKETS,  25  cents  each,  —  and  may  be  obtained  at 
Osborn's  Music  Store,  Fourth  Street,  two  doors  below  Ran- 
stead Court.  Each  ticket  admits  a  gentleman  and  two 
ladies.     The  exercises  commence  at  8  o'clock. 

□Cf3  The  design  of  these  Exhibitions  is  to  give  confidence 

to  the  Stammerer,  which  is  so  essential  to  his  relief,  and 

make   the   public    better  acquainted  with    the   system   of 

instruction  and  its  beneficial  results.     The  sale  of  tickets  is 

to  secure  an  audience  of  respectable  persons,  and  defray  the 

incidental  expenses. 

ANDREW  COMSTOCK. 


RECOMMENDATIONS. 

From  the  Public  Ledger,  February  6,  1838. 

VOCAL  GYMNASTICS. 

A  class  of  students  in  elocution,  and  stammerers,  under  Dr.  Comstucfc, 
exhibited  at  the  Vocal  Gymnasium,  (Ranstead  Court,  Fourth  Street,  above 
Chesnut,)  on  Saturday  evening  last.  Dr.  Comstock's  lecture  on  elocution 
und  stammering1  displayed  an  intimate  knowledge  of  his  subject,  and  the 
performances  of  the  class  did  infinite  credit  to  his  talents  as  a  teacher. 

CaoJ 


'RECOMMENDATIONS.  21 

From  the  Pennsylvanian,  February  6,  1838. 

Dr.  Comstock,  the  professor  of  elocution,  gave  an  exhibition  on  Satutday 
evening,  at  the  Temperance  Hall,  N.  L.,  for  the  purpose  chiefly  of  affording 
a  practical  explanation  of  his  system  of  instruction,  and  showing  its  success 
in  the  cure  of  stammering  and  other  defects  of  speech.  A  large  audience, 
many  ladies  being  among  the  number,  was  present,  and  the  exercises  evi- 
dently gave  general  satisfaction.  It  was  surprising  to  hear  the  firmness  and 
hmoothness  with  which  the  pupils  spoke,  many  of  whom  until  recently  were 
confirmed  stammerers,  and  it  was  still  more  surprising  to  learn  in  how  short 
a  time  the  evil  habit  had  been  eradicated,  the  consciousness  of  a  complete 
cure  bjing  strongly  manifest  in  the  modest  confidence  with  which  the  Doc- 
tor's pupils,  several  of  whom  were  young  ladies,  went  through  their  recita- 
tions before  so  large  an  audience.  It  must  not,  however,  be  supposed  that 
this  system  of  instruction  is  intended  solely  for  the  stammerer.  Founded 
upon         sound  philosophical  principles  it  is  impor 

tant  in  many  respects.  It  has  a  wonderful  effect  in  developing  the  voice, 
and  in  giving  it  volume,  flexibility  and  compass,  while  the  practice  of  the 
elements  strengthens  the  chest,  and  >s  very  beneficial  to  the  general  health, 
fortifying  it  in  a  measure  against  the  approach  of  diseases  of  the  lungs. 
The  advantage  of  vocal  gymnastics  judiciously  conducted,  is  not  yet  per- 
haps fully  appreciated,  but  it  is  more  than  probable  that  the  time  will  come 
when  they  will  form  a  part  of  every  liberal  course  of  instruction. 


From  the  Public  Ledger,  February  16,  1838. 

VOCAL  GYMNASTICS. 

The  exhibition  of  Dr.  Comstock's  class  of  Stammerers,  at  Temperance 
Hall,  on  Wednesday  evening,  was  highly  gratifying  to  a  numerous  and 
highly  respectable  audience  of  ladies  and  gentlemen.  The  system  pursued 
appears  to  be  calculated  to  accomplish  the  end  in  view ;  but  the  eminent 
success  it  has  so  far  met  with,  is  to  be  ascribed,  in  a  great  degree,  to  the 
talents  of  Dr.  Comstock  as  a  teacher. 


From  the  Christian  Advocate  and  Journal,  New -York,  April  27, 1838. 

Philadelphia,  April  2,  1838. 
Dear  Brethren, — Having  attended  Dr.  Comstock's  exhibitions,  I  am  fully 
persuaded,  that  with  proper  attention  on  the  part  of  the  pupils,  he  can  cure 
them.  I  was  induced  to  attend  in  consequence  of  his  having  in  his  class  a 
particular  friend  of  mine,  whose  case  was  one  of  the  worst  I  ever  knew 
and  to  my  astonishment,  he  addressed  an  audience  without  the  least  diffi 
culty,  making  quite  a  display  as  an  orator.  His  age  is  about  twenty-one 
years.  If  you  feel  at  liberty  to  notice  him  in  your  paper,  you  may  render 
essential  service  to  stammerers.     Respeotfully, 

J.  HARMSTEAD. 


22  RECOMMENDATIONS. 

From  the  United  States  Gazette,  April  30,  1838. 

STAMMERERS. 

The  recitations,  and  other  vocal  exercises,  made  on  Tuesday  e\  cr.ings,  at 
Dr.  Comstock's  Vocal  Gymnasium,  in  Ranstead  Court,  furnish  evidence  of 
great  success  in  his  mode  of  teaching'.  His  pupils,  to  the  number  of  thirty 
or  forty,  male  and  female,  give  recitations  in  a  style  that  shows,  not  only  tiie 
entire  absence  of  any  disposition  to  stammer,  but  evincing  also  a  striking 
proficiency  in  the  agreeable,  as  well  as  useful  science  of  elocution. 


From  the  Pennsylvania  Inquirer,  May  10,  1838. 

STAMMERING. 

A  friend  iu  whose  judgment  as  well  as  impartiality  we  place  reliance, 
speaks  in  terms  of  warm  commendation  of  Dr.  Comstock's  success  in  curing 
impediments  in  speech,  and  imparting  a  free  action  to  the  organs  of  articu- 
lation.  The  public  recitations  of  his  class,  which  take  place  every  Tuesday 
evening,  at  his  room  adjoining  the  Church  in  Ranstead  Court,  are  spoken  of 
as  furnishing  evidence  of  success  in  curing  stammerers,  as  well  as  of  striking 
proficiency  in  elocution,  which  Dr.  C.  teaches  with  great  effect. 


From  the  United  States  Gazette. 

Mr.  Editor, — I  have  attended  two  of  the  Vocal  Gymnastic  Exhibitions 
which  have  attracted  so  much  attention  in  our  city.  The  design  of  these 
exhibitions,  as  stated  by  Dr.  Comstock,  with  whom  they  have  originated,  and 
by  whom  they  are  conducted,  is  to  enable  the  stammerer  to  rid  himself  of 
that  timidity  which  is  a  greater  or  less  aggravation  of  his  disease.  If 
timidity  in  one  vyho  has  no  impediment  of  speech,  interrupts  the  utterance 
of  thoughts,  surely  in  a  confirmed  stammerer,  it  must  be  a  source  of  the 
highest  degree  of  embarrassment  to  the  vocal  organs.  Timidity,  then,  must 
be  removed  before  the  stammerer  can  have  full  command  of  his  own  organs 
of  speech.  To  do  this,  Dr.  Comstock  brings  his  whole  class,  both  ladies  and 
gentlemen,  before  the  crowded  houses  which  assemble  to  hear  the  welkin 
ring  with  their  various  exercises  in  what  is  well  denominated  by  Dr.  C. 
Vocal  Gymnastics.  Could  art,  science,  experience,  wisdom,  or  philosophy, 
suggest  a  more  efficacious  means  for  the  destruction  of  timidity  than  the 
production  of  courage  by  individual  and  collective  public  speaking  ?  Nor  is 
the  performance  of  these  stammerers  void  of  all  powers  to  edify,  and  amuse 
— there  is  much  to  instruct,  and  please,  both  in  manner  and  matter,  in  these 
exhibitions,  which,  for  the  sake  of  the  great  good  they  seem  likely  to  pro 
duce  to  the  afflicted  stammerer,  I  hope  will  be  fully  sustained  by  this 
enlightened  public. 

A  Well  Wisher  to  Freedom  of  Speech. 


PRACTICAL  ELOCUTION,  Or,  A  System  of  Vocal 
Gymnastics,  comprising  Diagrams,  illustrative  of  the  sub- 
ject, and  Exercises,  designed  for  the  Promotion  of  Health, 
the  Cure  of  Stammering,  and  Improvement  in  Reading 
and  Speaking.  By  Andrew  Comstock,  M.  D.  Second 
Edition.     Kay  &  Brother,  122,  Chesnut  Street. 


RECOMMENDATIONS. 

From  the  Philadelphia  Saturday  Courier,  Dec.  2, 1837. 

PRACTICAL  ELOCUTION. 

Dr.  Comstock,  a  gentleman  with  whose  name  our  readers  are  familiar  as 
the  scientific  curer  of  Stammering',  has  issued  a  second  edition  of  his  work 
on  Practical  Elocution.  It  is  believed  to  be  the  best  practical  work  extant 
upon  this  important  subject 

and  so  far  as  strengtnening  the  lungs  is 
concerned,  the  exercises  it  teaches  are  of  vast  importance.  Those  who  do 
not  intend  to  become  orators,  may  cultivate  and  improve  the  conversational 
and  colloquial  powers,  and  secure  a  grace,  ease  and  power,  that  will  render 
them  polished  and  sought-for  intelligences  in  the  mystic  roads  of  social 
intercourse.  The  work  is  illustrated  with  engravings,  and  very  beautifully 
got  up  both  in  paper  and  print. 


From  the  Philadelphia  Saturday  News,  Dec.  2,  1837. 

PRACTICAL  ELOCUTION,  Or,  A  System  of  Vocal  Gymnastics,  &c.    By 

Andrew  Comstock,  M.  D. 

Dr.  Comstock  is  known  as  a  skilful  and  scientific  teacher  of  elocution. 
He  has  devoted  much  study  to  the  subject,  and  has  had  the  advantage  of 
very  considerable  experience  in  the  practical  application  of  his  knowledge 
His  classes  are  generally  filled  with  pupils,  and  their  success  is  the  best 
testimonial  of  the  merits  of  his  system. 

This  volume  will  be  found  a  valuable  aid  to  those  who  are  engaged  eithej 
in  teaching  or  acquiring  the  important  art  of  elocution.  Besides  a  concise 
but  sufficiently  clear,  analysis  of  the  subject,  and  various  explanatory  details, 
it  furnishes  a  series  of  diagrams  calculated  very  much  to  facilitate  the  pro- 
gress of  the  learners.  These  diagrams  have  been  prepared  with  much  care 
and  labour,  and  reflect  high  praise  on  the  industry  and  ability  of  Doctor 
Coinxtock. 


24  RECOMMENDATIONS. 

From  the  United  States  Gazette. 
PRACTICAL  ELOCUTION. 

Messrs.  Kay  &  Brother,  122,  Chesnut  street,  have  published  a  second  edi. 
tion  of  Dr.  Andrew  Comstock's  Practical  Elocution,  or,  a  System  or 
Vocal  Gymnastics.  We  really  believe  that  the  great  labour  and  amount  of 
time  which  Dr.  C.  has  bestowed  upon  this  volume,  will  be  productive  of  essen- 
tial benefits  to  the  learner.  The  selections  are  apposite,  and  the  remarks 
6uch  as  show  the  author  master  of  his  subject. 


From  the  Saturday  Chronicle,  Philadelphia,  Dec.  2,  1837. 

Practical  Elocution. — Kay  Sf  Brother. — Philadelphia. 

The  volume  now  before  us,  comprises  a  system  of  "  Vocal  Gymnastics," 
by  Andrew  Comstock,  M.  D.,  and  consists  of  diagrams,  illustrative  of  the 
subject,  and  exercises.  The  plan  recommended  is  designed  for  thf»  promotion 
of  health,  cure  of  stammering,  and  improvement  in  reading  and  speaking. 
The  rapid  sale  of  its  first  edition  seems  to  be  a  proof  of  Us  popularity  ;  while 
several  men  of  eminence  in  literature  and  science  have  pronounced  Doctor 
Comstock's  system  a  decided  improvement  upon  the  usual  routine  of  teach, 
insr  in  Elocution. 


From  the  Public  Ledger,  Philadelphia,  Dec.  5,  1837. 
COMSTOCK'S  PRACTICAL  ELOCUTION. 

We  have  received  from  Dr.  Andrew  Comstock,  of  this  city,  a  copy  of  his 
late  work,  entitled  "Practical  Elocution,  or,  a  System  of  Vocal  Gymnastics, 
comprising  Diagrams  and  Exercises,  &c,  designed  for  the  promotion  of 
health,  the  cure  of  stammering,  and  improvement  in  reading  and  speaking." 

This  work  contains  rules  for  pronouncing  all  the  vowels,  sub-vowels,  and 
diphthongs  in  the  English  language,  with  plates  to  illustrate  the  position  of 
the  mouth  in  pronouncing  them.  These  sounds  he  denominates  elements; 
and  he  g-ives  tables  exhibiting  an  analysis  of  words,  consisting  of  both  easy 
and  difficult  combinations  of  these  elements.  In  spelling  these  words,  the 
pupil  is  required  to  pronounce  the  clement  or  vowel  sound,  and  not  the  name 
of  the  letter  or  combination  of  letters  which  represent  it,  as  is  usual  in  the 
schools.  The  hook  also  contains  rules  for  every  species  of  modulation  and 
intonation  of  the  voice,  and  of  time,  in  reading,  speaking,  and  singing. 

It  contains  remarks  on  stammering,  and  rules  for  curing  it;  and  practical 
lessons  in  reading  and  speaking,  consisting  of  selections  in  prose  and  verse, 
printed  with  different  characters,  to  denote  the  proper  modulations.  It  also 
contains  plates,  representing  every  variety  of  attitude  and  gesture  required 
in  good  speaking. 


'RECOMMENDATIONS.  25 

This  must  be  a  valuable  work  to  those  who  would  learn  to  read  or  speak 
well,  and  especially  to  those  afflicted  with  stammering  or  other  impedimenta 
of  speech.  It  is  useless  to  dilate  upon  the  importance  of  elocution  to  all 
who  have  occasion  to  read  or  speak  to  others.  To  lawyers,  legislators,  cler- 
gymen, and  speakers  in  public  meetings,  it  is  particularly  important;  lor 
though  to  intelligent  and  well  informed  minds,  the  graces  of  manner  add 
nothing  to  the  force  of  argument,  they  are  exceedingly  important  in  securing 
an  attentive  hearing.  An  indifferent  sermon,  if  well  preached,  will  produce 
great  effect,  while  one  of  the  highest  order,  badly  delivered,  will  be  lost  upon 
a  great  portion  of  the  audience.  This  is  entirely  because  the  first  secures 
the  attention  of  its  hearers,  and  thereby  enables  ever}'  argument  or  illustra- 
tion to  reach  their  understandings;  while  the  second  is  not  understood, 
because  not  heard. 

We  recommend  Dr.  Comstock's  book  to  every  person  who  would  wish  to 
apeak  or  read  well. 


From  the  Herald  and  Sentinel,  Philadelphia,  Dec.  11,  1837 

COMSTOCK'S  PRACTICAL  ELOCUTION. 

Dr.  Comstock  has  been  long  and  favourably  known  in  this  city  as  a 
teacher  of  elocution.  The  art  of  public  speaking  is  a  common  attainment; 
but  the  art  of  speaking  effectively,  powerfully,  and  well,  by  a  proper  disci- 
pline of  voice,  gesture  and  action,  is  no  easy  acquisition.  The  voice  is  a 
great  instrument  of  influence.  Some  orators  who  have  been  "  vox  et  pra- 
ter ea  nihil"  by  means  of  a  good  voice  alone,  have  been  able  to  exercise  an 
astonishing  sway  over  their  auditors.  The  full  developement  of  the  vocal 
organs  should  be  a  primary  exercise  with  all  ambitious  for  the  honours  of 
successful  orators,  and  we  know  of  no  better  disciplinarian  in  these  matters 
than  Dr.  Comstock.  The  work  before  us,  entitled  "  Practical  Elocution,"  is 
an  expose  of  his  principles  of  teaching,  and  will  serve  as  an  instructive 
manual  to  those  studying  his  method.  It  is  better  calculated,  however,  as  a 
manual  for  his  pupils,  than  for  students  in  general.  It  shows  great  skill  and 
industry,  and  is  highly  creditable  to  the  knowledge  and  research  of  the 
author. 


From  Atkinson's  Saturday  Evening  Post,  Dec.  16,  1837. 

Dr.  Andrew  Comstock,  of  this  city,  has  published  a  second  edition  of  a 
work  entitled  "Practical  Elocution,"  of  which  he  is  the  author.  There  are 
few  subjects  which  receive  less,  while  its  importance  demands  a  greater 
share  of  attention,  than  this  of  Elocution.  Every  organ  of  the  human  body 
pi  ndent  on  exercise  for  its  true  and  proper  developement.  There  are 
few  persons  who  do  not  feel  the  embarrassment  which  arises  from  an  impcr 
33  * 


26  RECOMMENDATIONS. 

feet  enunciation.  The  work  before  us  conveys  much  valuable  instruction  on 
this  subject.  To  render  the  doctrine  it  communicates  more  evident,  tha 
ditferent  movements  of  the  voice  are  illustrated  by  original  diagrams.  Dr. 
Cotnstock  has  for  some  years  been  a  successful  teacher  of  Elocution,  and  in 
his  experience  has  found  the  exercises  in  these  diagrams  happily  adapted  to 
render  the  muscles  of  speech  subject  to  volition,  to  extend  the  compass  of 
the  voice  and  increase  its  power. 


From  the  American  Weekly  Messenger,  Dec.  20,  1837. 

Dr.  Comstock  is  well  known  in  this  city  as  a  practjeal  teacher  of  Elocu- 
tion. His  experience  with  his  classes  has  given  him  great  advantages  m  the 
preparation  of  this  volume,  which  appears  to  be  complete,  so  far  as  diagrams, 
marks  expressive  of  the  pronunciation  of  words,  and  minute  practical  direc- 
tions, can  render  it  so.  To  those  persons  who  are  so  unfortunate  as  to  have 
contracted  a  habit  of  stammering,  and  to  foreigners  who  wish  to  acquire  a 
correct  pronunciation  of  our  language,  this  volume  will  prove  an  invaluable 
acquisition.  Students  in  oratory  may  consult  the  figures  illustrative  of  ges- 
ture with  advantage ;  and  teachers  of  reading  and  declamation  should  not 
consider  their  libraries  complete  without  this  volume. 


From  the  Daily  Focus,  Philadelphia,  April  17,  1838. 

Comstock's  Practical  Elocution  :  Published  by  Kay  Sf  Brother,  122,  Chcs* 

nut  Street. 

We  have  received  a  very  handsome  edition  of  the  above  work,  which  we 
cheerfully  recommend  to  young  men,  as  a  Valuable  assistant  in  the  study  of 
true  oratory.  The  work  is  illustrated  with  a  number  of  plates  representing 
the  proper  position  of  the  mouth  in  pronouncing,  and  also  the  most  graceful 
and  natural  attitudes  and  gestures  of  the  limbs  and  body,  in  order  to  give 
full  force  and  expression  to  language. 

Dr.  Comstock  has,  in  the  book  before  us,  proved  himself  abundantly  quali 
fied  to  teach  the  oral  developement  of  thought,  and  we  therefore  wish  ha 
may  conlinue  his  labours,  and  have  large  classes  of  pupils. 


MISCELLANEOUS  RECOMMENDATIONS. 


From  the  Public  Ledger,  Philadelphia,  February  27,  1838. 
VOCAL  GYMNASTICS. 

We  observe,  by  a  notice  among  our  list  of  business  cards  this  morning, 
that  the  residence  of  Dr.  Comstock,  whose  success  in  the  cure  of  impedimenta 
in  the  speech,  and  improvement  in  elocution  and  address  of  his  pupils,  wo 
believe  is  unsurpassed  by  any  instructor  in  the  country,  is  at  100  Arch  Street 
Dr.  C.  possesses  a  double  advantage  over  most  of  his  profession,  in  his  tho- 
rough acquaintance  with  the  physical,  as  well  as  mental,  capacity  of  his 
fellow  man.  The  fourth  exhibition  of  his  class  of  young  ladies  and  gentle- 
men,  will  be  given  this  evening,  at  the  Commissioners'  Hall,  Southwark, 
where,  in  addition  to  their  various  recitations,  a  lecture  will  be  delivered  by 
the  Rev.  Jacob  M.  Douglass. 


From  the  Saturday  Courier,  Philadelphia,  Dec.  15,  1838. 

Mr.  John  Taylor,  of  Hinsdale,  N.  H.,  was  the  other  morning  in  our  study 
and  exhibited  the  wonderful  improvement  made  by  eleven  weeks'  residence 
with  Dr.  Comstock.  He  told  us  he  had  been  all  his  life  dreadfully  troubled 
with  an  impediment  of  speech ;  but  he  read  to  us  with  the  most  perfect  easo 
and  freedom.  We  take  pleasure  in  recording  such  cases  for  the  benefit  of 
others. 


From  the  Daily  Buffalo  Journal,  (2V.  Y.,)  March  27,  1839. 
PRACTICAL  ELOCUTION— A  REMEDY  FOR  STAMMERING. 

Dr.  Comstock,  of  Philadelphia,  has  acquired  great  fame,  both  as  a  teacher 
of  elocution,  and  as  a  successful  practitioner  in  removing  all  defects  in  speech. 

The  voice  is  produced  by  muscular  contraction,  and  hence  depends  wholly 
on  the  power  of  the  muscles,  which  propel  the  air  through  the  vocal  organs, 
and  modulate  the  same,  for  the  strength,  compass,  distinctness,  or  confusion 
of  the  various  sounds  emitted  in  speaking  or  singing. 

Dr.  Comstock  has  investigated  this  subject  in  all  its  bearings,  and  pointed 
out,  in  a  clear  and  scientific  manner,  the  cause  of  stammering,  and  other  de- 
fects of  speech,  in  his  work  on  Practical  Elocution,  (which  has  been  some 
years  before  the  public :)  and  has  opened  a  school  in  Philadelphia  for  teaching 
elocution,  and  removing  defects  in  speech,  upon  philosophical  principles. 


28  RECOMMENDATIONS. 

A  late  number  of  the  World,  published  in  the  city  of  brotherly  love,  con. 
tains  a  very  commendatory  notice  of  the  eminent  ability  and  success  which 
attend  the  labours  of  this  learned  and  indefatigable  practitioner,  in  an  im- 
portant branch  of  science,  to  the  investigation  of  which  his  whole  life  has 
been  devoted.  Knowing  well  the  history  of  this  gentleman,  and  having  once 
enjoyed  the  honour  of  a  personal  acquaintance,  we  do  not  hesitate  to  recom- 
mend his  school  as  possessing  the  highest  claims  to  public  confidence. 


Extract  from  the  Lyceum  Report,  published  in  the  World,  Philadel- 
phia, June  19,  1839. 

At  4J  o'clock  the  meeting  was  called  to  order,  and  a  lecture  delivered  on 
Elocution,  by  Dr.  Comstock,  and  an  interesting  exhibition  by  his  class,  several 
of  whom  had  been  inveterate  stammerers ;  one  in  particular,  a  married  gen- 
tleman from  the  east,  (who  said  he  had  to  do  his  courting  by  signs,)  spoke  so 
well,  after  only  six  weeks'  instruction,  as  to  prove  Dr.  C.'s  teaching  completely 
effectual. 

Half-past  5  o'clock,  the  company,  in  fine  health  and  spirits,  adjourned. 

G.  W.  WOOLLEY,  Secretary,  pro.  tern. 


From  the  United  States  Gazette,  June  29,  1839. 

Sometime  since,  Dr  Comstock  called  on  us  with  a  person  from  Vermont, 
who  had  applied  to  him  to  be  cured  of  stammering ;  he  certainly  needed  help. 
Yesterday,  the  Doctor  and  his  patient  called  on  us  again ;  the  latter  talked 
and  read  as  fluently  as  any  person  we  ever  saw.  The  person  to  whom  we 
refer,  mentioned  that  he  should  now  go  home,  and  talk  with  a  near  relation, 
to  whom  he  had  never  spoken,  as  she  was  rather  deaf,  and  he  had  stammered 
bo  abominably  as  to  be  wholly  unable  to  make  her  comprehend  him. 


From  the  Village  Record,  West  Chester,  Penn.,  September  10,  1839. 
STAMMERING  AND  ELOCUTION. 

From  numerous  testimonials  of  the  success  of  Dr.  Comstock,  of  Philadel 
phia,  in  improving  the  voice,  particularly  of  Stammerers,  we  sometime  sinco 
selected  the  following  from  a  Philadelphia  paper,  for  presentation  to  our 
readers.  To  those  afflicted  with  an  impediment  of  the  speed),  all  discoveries, 
or  efficient  modes  for  amending  the  vocal  organs,  must  be  matter  of  peculiar 
interest.  We  have  repeatedly  visited  the  institution  of  Dr.  C,  and  have  seen 
numerous  instances  of  improvement  no  less  striking  than  the  one  referred  to 
below.  Dr.  C.  is  unremitting  in  his  attention  to  his  pupils;  exact  in  his  ex- 
position of  the  principles  of  elocution  ;  and  affords  t.o  his  pupils  a  wide  range 
for  practice.  As  a  teacher,  he  commands  the  respect  of  his  pupils,  while  his 
gentlemanly  deportment  towards  them  is  sure  to  win  their  permanent  fwtfiein. 
His  office  is  at  No.  100  Arch  Street,  Philadelphia. 


« RECOMMENDATIONS.  29 

"  Mil  Charles  R.  Read,  from  Vermont,  called  upon  us,  and  read  as  fluently 
as  any  one.  Eight  weeks  since  'we  conversed  with  the  same  gentleman,  and 
he  could  not  articulate  a  sentence  without  stammering  badly.  He  had  been 
afflicted  from  his  infancy.  His  mother  stammered,  and  he  has  a  sister  who 
is  also  subject  to  the  same  infirmity.  Mr.  Read  tells  us  he  intends  to  send 
her  to  the  care  of  Dr.  Comstock,  who  has  been  so  successful  in  his  own  case. 
We  look  upon  it  as  doing  stammerers  a  kindness,  by  constantly  keeping  them" 
advised  of  such  important  facts." — Saturday  Courier. 


From  the  Philadelphia  Gazette,  October  5,  1839. 
VOCAL  GYMNASTICS. 

We  attended  an  exhibition  of  Dr.  Comstock's  class  of  stammerers  last 
evening,  at  the  Temperance  Hall,  N.  L.,  and  were  much  pleased  with  the 
exercises.  We  believe  that  Dr.  C.'s  system  is  well  calculated  to  accomplish 
the  very  desirable  relief  so  much  needed  by  those  afflicted  with  a  hesitancy 
of  speech.  One  individual,  who  had  been  under  tuition  but  nine  days,  gave 
ample  testimony  of  the  efficiency  of  the  system. 


From  the  Pennsylvania  Inquirer,  Philadelphia,  Nov.  22,  1839. 

A  STAMMERER  CURED. 

We  were  called  upon  yesterday  by  a  gentleman  of  Bradford  county,  Pa., 
thirty-seven  years  of  age,  who,  until  within  a  month,  had  been  an  inveterate 
stammerer  from  childhood.  A  few  weeks  since,  however,  he  was  induced  to 
place  himself  under  the  care  of  Doctor  Comstock,  of  this  city,  who  speedily 
effected  a  perfect  cure.  The  gentleman  called  upon  us  to  illustrate  the  excel- 
lence of  the  system,  in  his  own  case ;  and,  also,  with  the  object  of  making 
some  public  acknowledgment  of  the  great  and  important  benefit  that  had 
been  conferred.  He  spoke  with  ease  and  fluency,  and  recited  one  or  two 
passages  of  poetry,  with  taste  and  discrimination.  Those  of  our  citizens, 
however,  who  desire  the  most  satisfactory  evidence  of  the  effects  of  this  sys- 
tem, are  invited  to  visit  the  Musical  Fund  Hall,  on  Monday  evening  next, 
when  Dr.  Comstock  and  his  class  of  stammerers  will  give  a  variety  of  exer- 
cises and  recitations. 


From  the  Public  Ledger,  November  25,  1839. 

Dr.  Comstock's  exhibition  of  Vocal  Gymnastics  takes  place  at  the  Musical 
Fund  Hall,  this  evening,  November  25,  at  half-past  seven  o'clock. — It  gives 
us  pleasure  to  recommend  the  Doctor's  system  of  instruction,  which,  after 
cool  examination,  we  believe  to  be  excellent  and  unrivalled.  The  perform, 
ances  of  his  pupils,  who  were  formerly  stammerers,  are  truly  astonishing. — 
Let  every  one  judge  for  himself.  We  were  pleased  to  see  his  former  exhibi. 
tion,  at  Temperance  Hall,  attended  by  a  crowd  of  ladies  and  gentlemen. 

35 


30  RECOMMENDATIONS. 

From  the  North  American,  Philadelphia,  March  19,  1840. 
Pr  Comstock  left  with  us  yesterday  for  exhibition,  one  of  his  charts  repre- 
senting the  mouth  in  every  form  and  position  which  it  seems  to  be  enabled 
to  assume  in  the  enunciation  of  sounds. «  Attached  to  it  are  scales  for  tne 
modulation  of  the  voice,  which  are  of  great  service  to  the  student.  The  suc- 
cess which  has  attended  Dr.  Comstock's  instructions,  has  been  of  the  most 
striking  character. 


From  the  Philadelphia  Gazette,  March  21,  1840. 
Dr.  Comstock,  elocutionist  of  this  city,  has  published  a  large  chart,  mount- 
ed on  rollers  and  varnished,  entitled  "  A  Table  of  the  Elements  of  the  Eng- 
lish Language."  This  table  condenses,  as  it  were,  the  instruction  of  a  half 
years'  study,  in  the  useful  and  requisite  art  of  elocution.  It  should  be  hung 
up  in  the  library  of  every  orator,  or  every  one  who  would  be  an  orator,  whe- 
ther of  the  Pulpit  or  the  Bar.  If  one  is  naturally  an  orator,  it  will  assist  in 
developing  those  powers;  if  he  is  not,  an  assiduous  study  of  the  chart  will 
make  him  one.  Pebbles  helped  Demosthenes,  until  the  wide  round  world 
was  vocal  with  his  name ;  and  why  should  not  a  map  of  mounted  eloquence 
do  the  same,  to  some  one  in  the  nineteenth  century  ? 


From  the  Pennsylvanian,  March  24,  1840. 
Elocution. — Dr.  Comstock,  of  this  city,  has  published  a  large  chart  mount- 
ed upon  rollers,  entitled  "  A  Table  of  the  Elements  of  the  English  Language." 
This  Table  gives,  in  a  condensed  form,  and  as  it  were,  at  a  single  view,  the 
principles  upon  which  Dr.  Comstock's  system  of  instruction  in  elocution  is 
founded,  and  as  he  is  eminently  successful  in  making  good  speakers,  and  in 
curing  defects  in  articulation,  the  chart  will  doubtless  be  found  very  service- 
able both  to  his  pupils  and  to  others. 


From  the  Inquirer,  Philadelphia,  March  30,  1840. 
Dr.  Comstock's  Table. — Dr.  Andrew  Comstock,  of  this  city,  has  published 
a  Table  of  the  Elements  of  the  English  Language,  which  appears  to  us  ad- 
mirably suited  to  facilitate  boys  in  their  exercises  of  reading  and  improve- 
ment of  gesticulation.  For  stammerer's,  and  those  affected  with  impediments 
of  speech,  it  possesses  great  merit.  Indeed,  the  chart  is  particularly  calcu 
lated  for  schools,  and  embodies,  in  a  single  sheet,  an  entire  system,  very  sim- 
ple in  its  operation,  and  the  result  of  years  of  labour.  Dr.  Comstock  has  de- 
servedly acquired  much  reputation,  in  Philadelphia,  as  a  successful  teachet 
in  the  particular  branch  to  which  he  devotes  his  attention. 


From  the  United  States  Gazette,  Philadelphia,  April  15,  1840. 
Dr.  Comstock  has  issued  a  large  sheet,  containing  the  Elements  of  the 
English  Language,  with  illustrations  of  the  mode  of  uttering  simple  and  com- 
pound sounds,  figures  exemplifying  the  gestures  for  certain  recitations,  and 
mots  or  notes  for  the  pitch  and  government  of  the  voice  in  reading . 

Dr.  Comstock  has  been  eminently  successful  as  a  teacher  of  elocution,  be 
cause  he  teaches  radically  ;  and,  as  a  curer  of  stuttering,  we  believe  Dr.  C 
has  never  been  excelled. 


,REC0MMENDA1  Is  )NS.  31 

From  the  World,  Philadelphia,  March  20,  1S39. 

Dr  Comstock. — We  have  received  from  the  author  a  small  pamphlet,  con- 
taining  a  Lecture  on  Elocution,  with  remarks  on  stammering-,  delivered  before 
the  American  Lyceum  in  this  city,  on  the  6th  of  May,  1837,  by  Dr.  (  om- 
stock.  He  is  well  known  in  this  city,  as  remarkably  successful  in  the  cure 
of  all  defects  in  speech,  and  also  for  teaching-  elocution  upon  philosophical 
principles.  His  school  contains  pupils  from  various  and  distant  parts  of  the 
country,  resorting  to  him  for  the  cure  of  stammering  and  other  vocal  defects, 

He  h»3  published  a  work  on  Practical  Elocution,  the  perusal  of  which  will 
bhow  that  his  lessons  are  important  to  others  besides  those  afflicted  with 
btammering;  for  all  public  speakers,  whether  lawyers,  preachers  or  politicians, 
will  derive  advantages  from  observing  his  rules.  The  voice,  like  any  other 
part  of  the  system  connected  with  voluntary  muscular  action,  is  susceptible 
of  cultivation.  It  is  regulated  by  a  very  complicated  system  of  muscles,  and 
must  therefore  be  more  or  less  under  command,  in  proportion  to  the  control 
of  the  individual  over  these  muscles.  Why  are  the  muscles  of  a  blacksmith's 
striking  arm  larger  than  those  of  his  holding  arm  ?  Because  they  are  more 
exercised.  Why  have  porters,  stage  drivers,  and  those  whose  legs  are  most 
exercised,  larger  femoral  and  crural  muscles,  than  people  of  sedentary  habits? 
For  the  same  reason.  Then  if  one  set  of  muscles  is  improved  by  cultiva- 
tion, so  may  be  another ;  and  therefore,  as  the  voice  is  regulated  by  mus- 
cular action,  it  must  necessarily  be  improved  by  proper  exercise. 

This  theory,  which,  as  every  anatomist  knows,  is  founded  on  fact,  explains 
the  whole  system  of  stammering  and  other  vocal  defects.  They  proceed  from 
paralysis,  weakness,  or  other  causes,  producing  want  of  control  over  the  vocal 
muscles.  Such  defects  in  the  leg  or  arm,  produce  lameness  in  these  limbs. 
Similar  defects'  or  infirmities  in  the  vocal  muscles,  must  produce  lameness  of 
the  voice.  This  point  established,  the  indication  of  cure  is  obvious.  It  con. 
sists  in  restoring  activity  to  the  vocal  muscles  by  exercise,  by  cultivation 
Singers  never  stammer,  and  stammering  is  often  cured  by  singing.  Why  ? 
Because  singing  gives  active  exercise  to  the  vocal  muscles.  But  it  will  not 
always  cure  stammering,  because  the  defect  may  be  in  certain  muscles 
which  singing  cannot  reach,  or  reach  with  sufficient  force.  To  supply  the 
deficiency,  we  need  the  professor  of  elocution,  who  understands  the  voice 
anatomically,  physiologically,  and  pathologically,  or  in  other  words,  who  un 
derstands  the  structure,  actions,  and  diseases  of  the  parts  of  the  human 
system  subservient  to  the  voice.  Dr.  Comstock  has  particularly  studied  this 
subject,  and  his  success  as  a  practitioner  proves  that  he  has  studied  it  faithfully. 


I  most  cheerfully  endorse  the  preceding  certificates  relative  to  Dr.  Corn- 
stock's  success  in  removing  impediments  of  speech.  Having  spent  several 
weeks  in  his  Gymnasium,  for  the  purpose  of  improving  my  voice,  and  of 
removing  an  impediment  to  which  I  had  always  been  more  or  less  subject,  I 
am  able  to  speak  both  from  observation  and  experience.  I  consider  his  system 
of  vocal  gymnastics  eininentlv  fitted  to  accomplish  the  end  designed:  viz.  to 
bring  the  organs  of  speech,  by  a  thorough  course  of  drilling,  entirely  under 
the  control  of  volition.  True  it  is,  that  much  energy  and  perseverance, 
as  well  as  time  and  patience,  are  necessary  on  the  part  of  the  afflicted  in 
order  to  be  entirely  relieved.  But  I  am  confident  that  where  there  is  no 
mal-formation  of  the  vocal  organs,  an  entire  cure  may  be  effected. 

F.  W.  FISK. 

Philadelphia,  Avril  2~lh,  1840. 


3iJ  RECOMMENDATIONS. 

From  the  Philadelphia  Saturday  Courier,  April  3,  1841. 
CURE  OF  STAMMERING. 

Two  young'  gentlemen  called  in  our  sanctum  the  other  morning1,  and  we 
had  a  pleasant  conversation  with  them  on  the  extraordinary  benefit  they  had 
derived  from  having  been  a  few  weeks  in  the  Vocal  Gymnasium  of  Dr.  Corn- 
stock.  One  of  them,  John  Scribner,  jr.,  is  from  Poplin,  N.  H\  He  told  us, 
that  fourteen  weeks  ago  he  could  not  converse  at  all  without  stammering  in 
the  pronunciation  of  almost  e  ery  word.  He  conversed  with  us  the  morning1 
we  saw  him,  as  fluently  as  Daniel  Webster  or  Mr.  Forsyth  could  ;  and  we 
should  say  his  friends  will  be  delighted  to  hold  converse  with  him  on  his  re- 
turn to  the  salubrious  atmosphere  of  the  "  Granite  State."  The  other  young 
gentleman  is  Mr.  William  EI.  Cornell,  of  Clinton,  New  York.  He  is  eighteen 
years  old,  and  had  been  a  stammerer  all  his  life,  until  Dr.  Comstock  had  the 
gratification  of  receiving  him  under  his  discipline  of  the  vocal  powers.  He 
has  been  there  but  four  weeks,  and  conversed  with  us  witli  very  little  impedi- 
ment of  speech  ;  and  by  the  first  of  May,  when  he  proposes  to  return  to  the 
beautiful  region  of  Dutchess  county,  he  will  be  able  to  descant  upon  the 
sweets  of  the  "buds  and  the  flowers"  with  as  much  buoyancy  of  speech  as 
the  most  lovely  young  damsel  around  his  romantic  home.  We  are  happy  in 
stating  such  cases,  for  the  encouragement  of  others  in  distant  portions  of  the 
country,  who  may  be  labouring  under  the  painful  difficulties  which  impedi- 
ments of  speech  impose. 


From  the  National  Gazette,  Philadelphia,  Nov.  17,  1841. 
A  STAMMERER  CURED. 

Philadelphia,  Nov.  10,  1841. 
Messrs.  Editors — For  nearly  twenty  years  I  was  an  inveterate  stammerer 
The  habit  was  contracted  when  I  was  four  years  old,  in  consequence  of  the 
severe  treatment  of  a  schoolmaster.  Being  anxious  to  have  a  cure  effected,  if 
possible,  but  almost  despairing,  I  placed  myself,  six  weeks  ago,  under  the 
care  of  Dr.  Andrew  Comstock  of  this  city,  and  the  result  has  been  a  most 
happy  one.  Since  the  third  day  after  I  entered  his  Vocal  Gymnasium,  I  have 
been  able  to  converse  with  friends  and  strangers,  without  any  impediment 
whatever.  I  unhesitatingly  recommend  all  who  stammer  to  make  a  trial  of 
Dr.  C.'s  mode  of  treatment.  It  is  founded  on  philosophical  principles,  and  I 
feel  confident,  if  persevered  in,  will  always  produce  the  same  beneficial  results 
as  my  own  case.  I  shall  reside,  during-  the  winter,  at  No.  200  Arch  Street, 
where  I  shall  be  happy  to  receive  a  visit  from  any  one  who  may  desire  far- 
ther information  on  the  subject.  Respectfully, 

LEVI  S.  YATES,  of  Williamston,  N.  C, 
Student  of  Medicine  in  the  University  of  Pennsylvania. 


From  the  Philadelphia  Saturday  Courier,  July  21,  1S:>8. 
STAMMERERS. 
We  notice  as  an  interesting  fact,  that  C.  H.  J.  Pisman,  Esq.,  (n  young  gentleman  who 
was  recently  in  our  office,  while  under  the  care  of  Dr.  Comstock,  for  stammering,)  <ic 
.ivered  the  oration  at  Cumberland,  Md.,  on  the  4th  instant.  It  was  a  clear  and  distinct 
performance,  and  was  well  received  by  a  large  auditory.  Acopyin  mint  has  been  re- 
ceived by  us.  The  Civilian  of  that  place  remarks,  that  the  enunciation  of  Mr.  Pigman 
is  so  clear,  that  ifit  had  not  previously  been  known  that  he  had  laboured  severely  under 
an  impediment,  none  who  hear  him  speak  would  he  aware  that  he  had  ever  been  troubled 
with  such  a  difficulty.  Mr.  Pigmau  and  his  friends  (who  are  highly  respectable),  unite 
in  hestowin?  great  credit  upon  the  scientific  skill  of  Dr.  Comstock.  We  think  we  do 
unfortunate  stammerers  a  kindness  by  commending  this  gentleman  to  their  consideration 


We  always  thought  Dr.  Comstock's  system  for  the  cure  of  Stammer- 
ing  a  sealed  book,  because  it  was  so  certain  ;  he  has,  however,  in  the 
plenitude  of  his  benevolence,  and  for  a  small  consideration,  surrendered 
his  knowledge  and  experience  for  the  more  general  benefit  of  the  world. 
He  has  here  collected  and  widely  diffused  all  that  he  has  heretofore  pub- 
lished upon  this  subject,  and  by  well-executed  plates  illustrated  what  is 
not,  as  well  as  what  is  correct  in  gesture,  &c,  for  which  we  doubt  not 
the  heads  of  our  public  schools  will  be  duly  grateful,  as  affording  them 
facilities  and  suggestions  in  a  very  important  branch  of  education, 
which  they  could  not  beibre  command. 

The  eminent  success  of  Dr.  C.  in  his  practical  teachings,  is  the  only 
commendation  the  present  work  can  require,  and  we  understand  its 
merits  are  fully  appreciated,  if  we  are  to  judge  from  an  extensive  de- 
mand by  several  of  our  most  distinguished  Professors. 

We  may  also  remark,  that  the  work  is  enriched  by  numerous  selec- 
tions from  the  writings  of  the  most  celebrated  authors,  to  be  spoken  in 
the  elocutionary  exercises,  with  marks  indicating  the  proper  time  of 
emphasis.  Saturday  Courier,  Philadelphia,  Dec.  11,  1841. 


A  good  system  for  breaking  up  the  stiff  jaws  of  a  speaker,  and  round- 
ing the  sharp  angles  in  his  uncouth  gestures  —  two  embarrassment* 
under  which  many  labour,  and  which  few  thoroughly  overcome.  We 
may  laugh  at  Dr.  Comstock's  mouths  and  gestures  as  much  as  we 
please,  but  it  is  only  by  such  mouths  and  gestures  that  one  becomes  a 
graceful  speaker.  North  American,  Philadelphia,  Dec.  11,  1841. 


Dr.  Comstock  has  devoted  many  years  sedulously  to  the  study  of 
Elocution,  not  merely  as  a  declamatory  art,  but  as  a  science  compre- 
hending all  the  phenomena  of  the  voice,  and  the  means  by  which  it  may 
be  most  successfully  cultivated  for  all  the  purposes  of  speaking.  We 
have  examined,  with  some  attention,  the  first  part  of  Dr.  Comstock's 
book,  and  find  that  in  treating  of  elementary  sounds,  he  advances  pre- 
cepts evincing  an  intelligent  analysis  of  vocal  utterance, — a  subject  very 
lightly  passed  over  in  ordinary  text-books  upon  Elocution.  The  whole 
subject  of  the  book  appears  to  have  been  digested  with  equal  knowledge 
and  care,  and  we  would  commend  to  teachers  the  adoption  of  his  sys. 
tern,  as  based  upon  a  true  comprehension  of  the  powers  and  uses  of  the 
organs  of  speech,  and  the  modes  of  graceful  and  appropriate  action  in 
oratorical  exercises.  Various  plates  illustrate  the  text,  and  enable  intel- 
ligent readers  to  apprehend  the  principles  of  oral  delivery  and  gi  sture 
without  the  aid   of  a  special   preceptor. 

National  Gazette,  Philadelphia,  Dec.  13,  1841. 


The  experience  of  Dr.  Comstock  as  a  Professor  of  Elocution,  and  hib 
eminent  success  in  the  cure  of  stammering  and  other  defects  of  speech, 
as  well  as  the  warm  commendations  of  gentlemen  in  whose  judgment 
the  utmost  reliance  may  be  placed,  justify  us  in  recommending  this 
work  to  all  who  are  desirous  of  acquiring  the  art  of  reading  or  speaking 
with  ease,  grace  and  power. 

American  Sentinel,  Philadelphia,  Dec.  13,  1841. 


We  have  found  time  to  look  with  some  care  into  Dr.  Comstock's  text 
book,  and  have  been  led  to  admire  the  plan  and  general  execution.  The 
author  has  brought  to  his  subject  a  willing  mind,  "and  long  experience 
makes  him  sage." 

Numerous  pieces  of  great  strength,  are  illustrated  for  gesticulation, 
by  engravings  that  are  well  executed,  and  which  give  a  very  correct 
idea  to  the  reader  of  the  motions  to  be  used  in  an  open,  free  reading  of 
the  speech. 

The  remarks  and  notation  of  the  compiler  are  excellent,  and  give,  so 
far  as  we  could  examine,  a  correct  view  of  the  pauses,  volume  of  voice, 
and  accentuation. 

We  commend  Dr.  Comstock's  volume  to  the  consideration  of  teachers 
and  of  learners.     United  States  Gazette,  Philadelphia,  Dec.  14, 1841. 


We  have  a  distinct  recollection  of  a  tall,  smiling  gentleman,  who, 
when  we  were  a  white-pated  shaver  going  to  school,  used  to  come  tri- 
weekly to  the  academy,  and  standing  up  duly  before  us,  make  us  ges- 
ticulate, pronounce,  read,  and  deliver  speeches  until  we  thought  our  arms 
would  be  jerked  from  their  sockets,  or  that  our  lungs  at  least  would  give 
way.  But  we  are  living  still,  and  so  is  our  smiling  friend  Dr.  Corn- 
stock.  He  has  turned  author  too,  and  our  table  even  now  bears  witness 
to  that  fact,  in  the  presence  of  an  admirable  treatise  on  elocution  by  our 
former  teacher. 

No  man,  perhaps,  in  the  United  States  understands  so  well  how  to 
cure  stammering  as  Dr.  Comstock.  His  success  in  this  department  has 
been  almost  miraculous.  Yet  he  does  not  seek  to  hide  his  secret  "  un- 
der a  bushel,"  but,  with  true  benevolence,  has  made  it  public  in  the 
work  before  us.  The  volume  also  treats  generally  of  elocution,  gesticu- 
lation, &c.  &c,  and  should  be  the  study  of  every  one  desirous  of  be- 
coming an  orator,  or  even  of  reading  well.  The  work  is  illustrated  by 
numerous  figures,  displaying  every  position  to  be  assumed  in  pronoun- 
cing a  speech.  Indeed,  we  have  never  seen  a  more  complete  treatise 
of  the  kind,  and  we  cordially  recommend  it  to  parents,  teachers,  and 
others,  as  a  work  especially  deserving  support.  Next  to  the  privilege 
of  being  a  pupil  of  the  doctor  is  the  privilege  of  purchasing  his  book. 
Saturday  Evening  Post,  Philadelphia,  Dec.  18,  1841. 


The  system  of  Dr.  Comstock  is  peculiar,  and  we  cannot  speak  intel- 
ligently  on  it,  because  it  cannot  be  understood  without  a  study,  which 
we  are  unable  to  give  to  it.  We  can  however  say,  that  it  appears  to  us 
to  be  founded  on  philosophical  principles,  and  to  be  exceedingly  well 
illustrated  in  parts  which  we  readily  comprehend.  Dr.  Comstock  is  not 
a  mere  theorist ;  he  is  eminently  a  practical  man,  and  in  the  application 
of  his  principles  he  has  been  very  successful  in  developing  the  powers 
of  elocution,  and  in  the  cure  of  defective  exercise  of  the  organs  of  speech 
Presbyterian,  Philadelphia,  Dec.  18,  1841. 

This  work  contains  some  new  and  plausible  principles,  and  it  is  em 
Lellished  by  numerous  diagrams  and  engraved  figures,  illustrative  of 
the  subject.  We  have  never  seen  a  work  of  this  kind  published  in  a 
more  elegant  manner.  Philadelphia  Gazette,  Dec.  21,  1841 


35 

This  is  one  of  the  most  elaborate  works  on  Elocution  ever  published 
in  our  country,  containing1  the  results  of  much  study  and  attention  tc 
the  subject,  and  a  thorough  acquaintance  with  the  philosophy  of  the 
human  voice.  Its  several  parts  are  systematically  arranged — and  its 
rules  are  illustrated  to  the  eye  by  numerous  diagrams.  It  is  well  adapt- 
ed to  meet  the  wants  of  schools  and  colleges  as  well  as  to  direct  private 
individuals,  who  would  improve  themselves  in  reading  and  speaking. 
Christian  Observer,  Philadelphia,  Jan.  7,  1842. 

The  politeness  of  the  author  has  placed  before  us  his  "  System  of 
Elocution,"  but  from  a  hurried  glance  at  its  contents,  we  are  not  able 
to  say  as  much  for  it  as  its  merits  demand  ;  however  we  have  seen  suffi- 
cient to  be  enabled  to  recommend  it  particularly  to  the  heads  of  families 
and  schools,  who  cannot  fail  to  find  it  an  invaluable  auxiliary  in  the 
various  subjects  of  which  it  treats.  Its  divisions  comprise  Elocution, 
Vocal  Gymnastics,  Gesture,  Practical  Elocution,  being  exercises  in  arti- 
culation, pitch,  force,  time  and  gesture,  and  exercises  in  reading  and 
declamation.  The  engravings  are  exceedingly  numerous,  and  admira- 
bly adapted  to  the  purposes  for  which  they   are   designed. 

Catholic  Herald,  Philadelphia,  Jan.  20,  1 842. 


Dr.  Comstock  has  been  long  and  favourably  known  in  this  city,  and 
elsewhere,  as  a  distinguished  and  successful  teacher  of  Elocution.  His 
system  views  that  important,  yet  so  sadly  neglected,  branch  of  education, 
as  both  a  science  and  an  art.  His  principles  are  founded  on  truth  and 
nature,  and  in  their  practical  application  he  is  evidently  master  of  his 
subject.  Friends,  in  whose  judgment  we  place  reliance,  speak  of  him 
as  a  teacher  in  terms  of  high  commendation.  The  work  we  have  just 
noticed  is  a  new  edition,  with  special  reference  to  gesture,  to  the  treat- 
ment of  stammering,  and  defective  articulation ;  comprising  numerous 
diagrams  and  engraved  rigures,  illustrative  of  the  subject. 

Banner  of  the  Cross,  Philadelphia,  Feb.  5,  1842. 


Comstock's  System  of  Elocution,  for  sale  by  S.  S.  &  W.  Wood.  — 
This  is  a  most  excellent  book,  containing  a  system  of  elocution,  with 
special  reference  to  gesture.  It  has  a  great  number  of  cuts,  descriptive 
of  the  plan,  and  is  admirably  calculated  for  the  learner.  It  ought  to  be 
made  a  school-book,  and  be  in  the  possession  of  every  seminary. 
New  York  Express,  March  2,  1842. 


Dr.  A.  Comstock,  ) 


Philadelphia,  Dec.  10,  1841 


Philadelphia. 
Dear  Sir — I  am  much  obliged  to  you  for  the  copy  which  you  were 
50  kind  as  to  send  me  of  your  "System  of  Elocution."     I  find  yout 
book  admirably  adapted  to  the  object  for  which  it  is  intended. 
I  am  very  respectfully,  Dear  Sir, 

your  obedient  servant, 

CHARLES  PICOT. 


36 

From  the  Rev.  Thomas  B.  Bradford. 

Philadelphia,  April  4,  1842. 
I  take  great  pleasure  in  recommending  Dr.  Comstock's  System  of 
Elocution.  A  practical  acquaintance  with  the  system,  and  with  the 
instructions  of  its  author,  enables  me  to  speak  with  confidence  of  the 
high  superiority  of  this  treatise,  and  of  the  ample  qualifications  of  its 
author  as  an  instructor  in  the  art  of  speaking. 

His  course  of  instruction  is  exactly  adapted  to  the  cure  of  stammerers 
and  my  personal  knowledge  of  the  cure  of  those  who  have  been  thua 
afflicted,  warrants  me  in  particularly  recommending  such  individuals  to 
place  themselves  under  the  tuition  of  Dr.  Comstock. 

T.  B.  BRADFORD. 


From  E.  C.  Wines,  A.  31.,  late  Professor  of  Moral,  Mental, 

and  Political  Science  in  the  Central  High  School  of 

Philadelphia. 

Philadelphia,  Oct.  22d,  1842. 

I  take  pleasure  in  stating  that  Dr.  A.  Comstock  taught  Elocution  in 
my  school  during  the  whole  of  last  year,  and  that  his  System  of  Elocu- 
tion was  used  as  a  text-book.  I  consider  it  a  work  of  very  great  merit, 
admirably  adapted  to  the  end  for  which  it  was  designed.  The  principles 
of  the  science  are  laid  down  with  clearness  and  ability  in  the  First  Part; 
and  the  selections  for  practice  in  the  Second  Part  are  made  with  excel- 
lent judgment.     It  is  a  work  every  way  worthy  of  the  public  patronage. 

The  progress  of  the  pupils  in  my  school  under  Dr.  Comstock's  in- 
struction  was  altogether  satisfactory.  He  fully  sustained  his  high  repu- 
tation as  a  teacher  of  practical  elocution. 

E.  c.  wines. 

From  S.  W.  Crawford,  A.  M.,  Principal  of  the  Academy 
connected  with  the  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

I  have  examined  Dr.  Comstock's  Elocution,  and  agree  with  Mr 
Wines  in  the  above  recommendation. 

S.  W.  CRAWFORD. 


From  the  Pennsylvania  Law  Journal,  Dec.  10,  1842. 

We  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  a  copy  of  this  valuable  work  ;  and 
although  a  treatise  on  elocution  cannot  be  regarded  as  a  law-book,  the 
subject  of  vocal  delivery  is  so  nearly  connected  with  the  practice  of  the 
law,  that  we  willingly  accord  to  this  volume  a  notice  in  our  Journal. 

Doctor  Comstock  has  been  long  known  to  both  the  editors  as  a  sue 
cessful  teacher  of  the  subjects  treated  in  his  book.  He  has,  perhaps, 
paid  greater  and  more  intelligent  attention  to  defects  of  articulation,  and 
to  the  cure  of  them,  than  any  other  person  in  the  United  States.  And 
while  certificates  from  Professor  W.  E.  Horner    and  other  members  of 


37 

the  Faculty,  attest  that  Dr.  Comstock's  "  System  is  founded  upon  un 
exact  anatomical  and  physiological  information  in  regard  to  the  organs 
concerned  in  the  production  and  modification  of  sound,"  numberless 
testimonials  from  pupils  residing  in  every  part  of  the  Union,  show  that 
he  has  been  equally  successful  in  the  more  rare,  though  not  less  im- 
portant part  of  the  teacher's  office ;  we  mean,  imparting  his  science 
with  practical  effect.  A  long  and  intimate  acquaintance  with  the  Dr. 
enables  the  editors  to  vouch  for  the  truth  of  what  is  thus  attested,  and 
yet  more,  to  bear  a  ready  testimonial  to  Dr.  Comstock's  merits  as  an 
amiable,  gentlemanly,  and  conscientious  man. 

We  have,  indeed,  often  lamented  the  gross,  and,  to  an  ear  of  any 
susceptibility,  the  distressing  inattention  to  delivery  so  generally  pre- 
valent in  the  pulpits  and  at  the  bar,  in  this  country.  How  surprising, 
in  this  day  of  almost  universal  accomplishment,  that  in  professions 
whose  common  object  is  persuasion  through  the  medium  of  the  voice, 
the  management  of  "  this  mighty  instrument  for  touching  the  heart  of 
man,"  should  be  so  much  disregarded !  should  be  treated  in  one  pro- 
fession as  useless,  in  the  other  as  almost  impious  ! 

How  many  a  divine,  whose  sermon  was  replete  with  learning,  with 
piety,  with  all  the  refinements  of  graceful  composition,  has  sent  away  a 
ready  (perhaps  an  anxious)  hearer,  disgusted  with  the  unimpressive, 
nay,  sometimes  the  sickening  manner  in  which  the  preacher's  senti- 
ments were  delivered  !  while  a  Maffet  or  a  Kirk  is  followed  by  thou 
sands  whose  slumbering  sensibilities  are  first  awakened  to  the  majesty 
of  the  gospel  truth,  by  the  commanding  power  of  an  impressive  voice  ! 

How  many  a  jury  has  thought  a  speaker's  argument  without  force, 
because  his  manner  was  so;  and  have  found  a  verdict  against  law  and 
against  evidence,  because  they  had  been  charmed  into  delusion  by  the 
potent  fascination  of  some  gifted  orator! 

Who,  indeed,  that  has  listened  to  the  ennobled  voice  of  Kemble,  to 
the  chastened  recitation  of  a  Wood,  to  the  air-dropt  accents  of  Mrs. 
Seymour,  or  the  sternly  pleasing  power  of  Ellen  Tree ;  who,  that  seek- 
ing a  better  school,  may  have  hearkened  to  the  unsurpassed  discourses 
of  a  Wainwright,  rising,  now,  to  fervour  almost  apostolic,  sometimes 
sinking  into  gentleness  unearthly,  has  not  acknowledged  the  power  of 
educated  tone  to  awaken  an  eloquent  response  from  the  chords  of  human 
feeling  ?  Who  has  not  felt,  on  such  occasion,  "  that  when,  in  connection 
with  a  more  careful  culture  of  our  moral  being,  the  voice  shall  be  trained 
to  a  more  perfect  manifestation  of  its  powers,  a  charm,  hitherto  unfelt, 
will  be  lent  to  the  graceful  pleasures  of  life,  and  an  influence  of  almost 
untried  efficacy  to  its  serious  occasions !" 

Let,  then,  our  preachers  leave  the  towering  heights  of  their  divinity, 
and  strive  to  present  its  humbler  truths  in  more  graceful  garb.  Let  our 
lawyers,  not  neglecting  the  weightier  matters  of  the  law,  attend  to 
those  embellishments  of  argument  which,  with  half  our  race,  often  prove 
more  effective  than  argument  itself. 

The  Author  acknowledges  the  receipt  of  a  recommendation  from  J. 
E.  Murdoch,  Esq.,  the  well-known  elocutionist  of  Boston  ;  and  he  regrets 
that  want  of  room  prevents  its  insertion  here.  Mr.  Murdoch  has  adopted 
the  work  as  a  text-book  in  his  Vocal  and  Athletic  Institute. 


38 

From  the  Rev.  Henry  W.  Ducachet,  M.  D.,  D.D 

Philadelphia,  June  26th,  J  843. 
Andrew  Comstock,  M.  D. 

Dear  Sir — I  have  very  carefully  read  the  "  System  of  Elocution,' 
&.c.  published  by  you.  Indeed,  ever  since  I  have  become  acquainted 
with  the  work,  I  have  made  it  a  book  of  reference  on  that  subject.  It 
seems  to  me  admirably  well  adapted  to  the  purposes  for  which  it  is  de- 
signed. I  have,  indeed,  no  experience  in  the  treatment  of"  stammering," 
or  "defective  articulation."  But  your  rules  for  their  cure  appear  very 
natural,  and  I  think  cannot  fail,  in  ordinary  cases,  to  be  successful.  For 
myself,  I  can  say  that  I  have  derived  from  your  work,  some  hints  that 
have  been  most  useful  to  me  as  a  public  speaker.  I  hope  the  book  will 
be  appreciated  as  it  deserves,  and  that  you  will  go  on  to  reap  a  rich  liar- 
test  of  reputation  and  profit  from  your  valuable  labours  in  that  much 
neglected,  but  very  important  art. 

Very  respectfully,  your  ob't  serv't, 

HENRY  W.  DUCACHET, 
Rector  of  St.  Stephen's  Church,  Philadelphia. 


From  G.  W.  Francis,  A.  M.,  Principal  of  a  Family  Board- 
ing  School,  Troy^  N.  Y. ;  and  C.  H.  Anthony,  Esq., 
Principal  of  the  Albany  Classical  Institute,  Albany, 
N.  Y. 

We  have  used  Dr.  Comstock's  System  of  Elocution  for  some  time  in 
our  schools,  and  we  do  not  hesitate  to  give  it  the  preference  to  any  system 
with  which  we  are  acquainted. 

G.  W.  FRANCIS. 
C.  H.  ANTHONY. 
Troy,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  2d,  1844. 


From  the  Faculty  of  the  University  of  Michigan. 

University  or  Michigan,  April  20,  1845. 
We  have  examined  Dr.  Comstock's  System  of  Elocution  with  somo 
care,  and  we  are  fully  persuaded  that  it  is   better  adapted  to  assist 
pupils  in  acquiring  a  correct,  easy  and  forcible  enunciation  than  any 
other  work  with  which  we  are  acquainted. 

JOSEPH  WHITING,  A.  M. 

Professor  of  Languages. 

A.  TENBROOK,  A.  M. 

Professor  of  Mental  and  Moral  Philosophy 

GEO.  P.  WILLIAMS,  A.  M. 

Professor  of  Mathematics 

O.  C.  COMSTOCK,  A.  M.,  M.  D. 

Superlntendant  ot  Fubiic  instruction.    Michigan. 


39 

From  the  Rev.  Henry  W.  Ducachet,  M.  D.,  D.D. 

Philadelphia,  June  26th,  1843. 
Andrew  Comstock,  M.  D. 

Dear  Sir — I  have  very  carefully  read  the  "  System  of  Elocution," 
&c.  published  by  you.  Indeed,  ever  since  I  have  become  acquainted 
with  the  work,  I  have  made  it  a  book  of  reference  on  that  subject  It 
seems  to  me  admirably  well  adapted  to  the  purposes  for  which  it  is  de- 
signed. I  have,  indeed,  no  experience  in  the  treatment  of  "  stammering," 
or  "  defective  articulation."  But  your  rules  for  their  cure  appear  very 
natural,  and  I  think  cannot  fail,  in  ordinary  cases,  to  be  successful.  For 
myself,  I  can  say  that  I  have  derived  from  your  work,  some  hints  that 
have  been  most  useful  to  me  as  a  public  speaker.  I  hope  the  book  will 
be  appreciated  as  it  deserves,  and  that  you  will  go  on  to  reap  a  rich  har- 
vest of  reputation  and  profit  from  your  valuable  labours  in  that  much 
neglected,  but  very  important  art. 

Very  respectfully,  your  ob't  serv't, 

HENRY  W.  DUCACHET, 
Rector  of  St.  Stephen's  Church,  Philadelphia. 


From  G.  W.  Francis,  A.  M.,  Principal  of  a  Family  Board- 
ing School,  Troy^  N.  Y. ;  and  C.  H.  Anthony,  Esq., 
Principal  of  the  Albany  Classical  Institute,  Albany, 
N.  Y. 

We  have  used  Dr.  Comstock's  System  of  Elocution  for  some  time  in 
our  schools,  and  we  do  not  hesitate  to  give  it  the  preference  to  any  system 
with  which  we  are  acquainted. 

G.  W.  FRANCIS. 
C.  H.  ANTHONY. 
Troy,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  2d,  1844. 


From  the  Faculty  of  the  University  of  Michigan. 

University  of  Michigan,  April  20,  1845. 
We  have  examined  Dr.  Comstock's  System  of  Elocution  with  some 
care,  and  we  are  fully  persuaded  that  it  is  better  adapted  to  assist 
pupils  in  acquiring  a  correct,  easy  and  forcible  enunciation  than  any 
other  work  with  which  we  are  acquainted. 

JOSEPH  WHITING,  A.  M. 

Professor  of  Languages. 

A.  TENBROOK,  A.  M. 
Professor  of  Mental  and  Moral  Philosophy. 

GEO.  P.  WILLIAMS,  A.  M. 

Professor  of  Mathematics. 

O.  C.  COMSTOCK,  A.  M.,  M.  D. 

Superintendant  of  Public  Instruction.    Michigan 


0.0     A  Letter  from  the  Jl-jn.  Ira  Maylwvo,  of  Michigan. 

Office  os  Superintendent  oj?  Public  Instruction, 
Monroe,  Maj  15,  1847. 
Dear  Sir 

I  received  by  yesterday's  mail,  "Comstock's  Phonetic  Reader,"  and 
"Speaker."  1  had  before  in  my  possession  (received  from  some 
unknown  source)  your  "Treatise  on  Phonology,"  No.  1,  and  the  1st, 
2d,  3d,  7th,  and  9th  Nos.  of  your  ''Phonetic  Magazine." 

I  was  unable  to  give  any  attention  to  these  works  when  first  received. 
When  1  got  a  little  time  to  devote  to  the  subject,  I  took  up  the  Treatise 
on  Phonology,  and  I  was  unable  to  lay  it  down  until  I  had  completed 
its  perusal.  I  placed  it  in  the  hands  of  my  children,  and  judge  what 
was  my  surprise  to  hear  a  daughter  not  yet  six  years  old.  read  the 
first  chapter  of  Genesis  fluently,  in  less  than  one  hour  from  the  time 
she  first  saw  a  Phonetic  character  ! 

I  wish  you  every  possible  success  in  your  efforts  to  facilitate  the 
acquisition  of  the  English  language.  Permit  me,  sir,  to  express  the 
hope  that,  when  you  shall  have  prepared  the  necessary  elementary 
books,  Phonology  will  become  a  common  branch  of  study  in  the  pri- 
mary schools  of  this,  and  other  States  of  the  Union. 

Very  truly  yours, 
IRA  MAYHEW,  Sup'L  Public  Instruction. 
To  Andrew  Comstock,  M.  D.,  Philadelphia. 

A  Letter  from  J.  K.  Mitchell,  M.  D..  the  Professor  of  the 

Theory  and   Practice   of  Medicine,  in   Jefferson    Medical 

College,   Philadelphia ,   and   a   Member  of  the  American 

Ph  ilosoph  ic  a  I  Soc  iety . 

Philadelphia,  June  28,  18-51. 

AXDREW  COMSTOCK,   M.   D. 

Dear  Sir — From  a  critical  examination  of  your  great  theory  of 
phonetics,  I  am  glad  to  find  that  the  system  has  already  attained  to 
completion.  To  me  it  is  truly  gratifying  to  learn  that  an  alphabet 
exists  which  is  strictly  representative,  not  only  of  all  the  sounds,  but 
of  their  various  modifications  in  speech,  in  every  language  in  which 
books  are  written  upon  the  arts  and  sciences.  I  am  glad  to  perceive  this, 
because  I  consider  a  universal  alphabet  of  the  greatest  value  to  the 
civilized  world.  A  knowledge  of  your  system  enables  the  student,  at 
once  and  always,  to  read  every  book  printed  conformably  to  it,  not 
only  in  English,  but  in  French.  German,  Latin,  Greek,  Spanish, 
Italian,  &c.  The  greatest  obstacle  to  the  accpaisition  of  one's  verna- 
cular, or  any  other  language,  is  thus  entirely  removed,  and  the  learner 
finds  the  only  insuperable  impediment  to  self-instruction  totally  ob- 
viated. Not  only  will  your  system  of  phonetics  do  these  things,  butit  will 
produce  that  uniformity  of  pronunciation  so  desirable  and  so  elegant. 

I  esteem  your  efforts  of  the  greatest  value,  because  I  perceive  that 
the  dream  of  Franklin  has  become,  in  your  hands,  a  profound  reality. 
I  remain,  dear  sir,  truly  yours, 

J.  K.  MITCHELL. 


com  Stock's  phonology.  109 

A  Letter  from  the  Rev.  Saynurl  Aaron,  Principal  of  Tree  Mount 
Seminary. 

Norristow.v,  Pa.,  July  IS,  1848. 
Dr.  A.  Comstock  : 

My  Dear  Sir, — Although  so  little  given  to  puffing  that  I  have  not  for 
years  even  advertised  my  own  school,  a  sense  of  duty  compels  me  to 
notice  in  terms  of  the  highest  commendation  the  truly  benevolent  and 
philosophical  efforts  you  are  making  to  diffuse  the  knowledge  and  estab- 
lish the  use  of  the  perfect  alphabet. 

As  a  teacher  of  young  men  and  boys  for  many  years,  I  have  had  a 
laborious  and  most  painful  experience  in  inculcating  the  thousands  of 
absurdities  and  irregularities  in  English  orthography.  To  stamp  on  the 
memory  of  youth  a  jargon  imposed  on  us  all  bj*  the  authority  of  lexico- 
graphers, is  an  undertaking  about  equally  hateful  in  the  labor,  hopeless 
in  the  prospect,  and  stupid  in  the  accomplishment.  The  contradictions 
and  enigmas  in  spelling  are  well  adapted  to  beget  in  bright  youths  a 
persuasion,  that  the  chain  of  knowledge,  instead  of  being  a  series  of 
beautifully  connected  links,  is  a  tissue  of  tangled  knots  and  kinks,  and 
that  teachers  are  a  pack  of  arbitrary  blockheads.  A  dull  boy  never 
learns  to  spell ;  a  smart  and  willing  one  acquires  the  art  after  many 
years  as  a  hateful  conventional  necessity. 

Your  alphabet,  very  agreeable  to  the  eye,  and,  for  aught  I  see,  com- 
plete in  the  elementary  sounds,  can  be  learned  in  a  few  days  by  any  one 
not  an  idiot;  and  then  distinct  reading  follows  in  a  few  days  more.  I 
have  no  doubt  a  sprightly  child,  ignorant  of  all  letters,  could  be  taught 
by  its  use  to  read  slowly  but  surely  in  one  week ;  while  now  such  read- 
ing is  a  work  of  years,  and  spelling  is  almost  never  learned. 

I  must  commend  your  alphabet  for  its  good  appearance.  Without 
meaning  to  disparage  the  "  Anglo-Saxon,"  which  I  now  receive,  and 
with  high  respect  for  its  conductors,  I  am  free  to  say  that  the  beautiful 
page  of  your  New  Testament  is  vastly  superior  to  any  other  phonotypy 
I  have  seen. 

It  is  perfectly  truthful,  but  may  seem  like  flattery,  to  say  that  your 
intelligent  and  tireless  zeal  in  advancing  this  great  reform,  has  no 
parallel  so  far  as  I  know,  and  will  doubtless  be  better  rewarded  by  your 
own  consciousness  of  benevolence  and  right  intention  than  by  any  eulogy 
of  mine.  You  will  meet  with  much  opposition,  be  ridiculed  by  the 
stupid,  the  conservative  will  inveigh  against  your  "  mad  innovation,"  the 
literary  bigot  will  dread  the  loss  of  his  occupation,  but  time,  perseverance, 
and  the  common  sense  of  the  world,  will  effect  your  triumph. 

I  heartily  approve  the  publication  of  your  intended  monthly,  and  I 
hope  it  may  soon  be  read  and  appreciated  by  many  thousands. 

My  school  will  take  sixty  copies  for  one  year;  and  be  assured  my 
pupils  generally  are  as  cordial  as  myself  in  the  hope  of  your  success. 

Direct  a  copy  to  Dr.  Dunlap,  Norristown,  your  tbrmer  pupil. 
I  am  sincerely  your  affectionate  friend, 

SAMUEL  AARON. 
10 


STAMMERING    CURED 


STAMMERING  CURED. 

A  Letter  from  Mrs.  Mann,  of  Zanesville,  Ohio,  to  Dr.  A.  Comstoclc, 
of  Ph  iladelphia. 

Zanesville,  Ohio,  March  20,  1852. 
Dr.  Comstock  :  — 

Dear  Sir, — Having  waited  a  sufficient  length  of  time  to  test  my 
daughter's  acquirements  in  reference  to  her  freedom  of  speech,  I 
seat  myself  to  acknowledge  the  extreme  delight  and  satisfaction 
I  have  experienced  in  finding  her  capable  of  expressing  herself 
with  ease  and  freedom  from  any  thing  like  stammering.  Occa- 
sionally, when  very  much  excited,  I  can  detect  a  very  slight  em- 
barrassment, which  does  not,  however,  amount  to  a  stammer ; 
and  I  believe  it  would  never  be  observed  by  persons  unacquainted 
with  her  former  impediment. 

It  is  but  due  to  you,  sir,  to  acknowledge  that  your  labors  have 
accomplished  more  than  my  most  sanguine  expectations  could 
have  looked  for ;  and  were  I  to  attempt  to  express  my  gratitude 
and  thankfulness  for  the  inestimable  benefit  she  has  derived  from 
your  system  of  teaching,  I  should  utterly  fail  of  doing  yourself, 
or  my  own  feelings,  justice.  My  daughter  has  told  me  of  your 
fatherly  care  and  persevering  efforts  for  her  benefit.  I  doubt  not 
but  you  will  believe  me,  when  I  say  that  I,  as  a  mother,  know 
how  to  appreciate  such  demonstrations  of  true  honor.  Yours  is, 
emphatically,  a  labor  of  love ;  and,  whilst  I  most  sincerely  desire 
to  express  my  gratitude  to  you  as  the  instrument  of  incalculable 
good  to  my  child,  I  wish  humbly  to  recognize  the  hand  of  Provi- 
dence in  pointing  to  you  in  answer  to  a  long-cherished  desire  to 
place  her  somewhere,  where  she  could  be  cured  of  so  unfortunate 
an  embarrassment.  I  am  much  pleased  with  the  improvement 
she  has  made  in  Elocution  and  French.  I  have  always  esteemed 
Elocution  not  only  a  very  beautiful,  but  also  a  very  essential 
accomplishment — and  to  Annie  it  is  doubly  so.  Annie's  improve- 
ment in  music  is  perfectly  satisfactory.  I  very  soon  observed 
the  great  improvement  in  fingering.  I  am,  with  much  esteem, 
your  sincere  friend, 

ANN  M.  MANN. 

I 


comstock's  phonology.  113 

[From  the  Providence  Dnily  Journal.] 
THE   PHONETIC   ALPHABET. 

To  the  Editor  of  the  Journal  : 

I  have  lately  had  the  pleasure  of  meeting  with  Dr.  Comstock,  of  Phi- 
ladelphia,  well  known  throughout  the  United  States  as  one  of  the  greatest 
elocutionists  of  the  day,  and  also  renowned  for  the  success  he  has  met 
with  in  curing  stammering  and  various  other  imperfections  of  speech. 
But  I  wish  to  speak  of  him  now  in  relation  to  ore  of  the  most  practical 
inventions  of  modern  times,  a  new  Alphabet  for  the  English  language. 
Dr.  Comstock  is  a  man  deeply  versed  in  philological  lore,  and  has  made 
this  subject  his  study  for  years.  He  has  at  length  matured  it  and  given 
it  to  the  world  as  the  result  of  his  investigations  into  the  regions  of 
thought  and  deep  practical  sense.  Any  one  who  has  at  all  looked  into 
the  science  of  the  English  language,  must  have  seen  at  once,  that,  as  a 
language,  it  is  (though  one  of  the  noblest  in  the  world)  sadly  deficient 
in  rules  and  laws.  In  fact,  there  is  no  law,  no  rule,  in  relation  to  the 
pronunciation  of  words,  as  may  be  seen  from  the  fact  that  the  -letters 
o-u-g-h,  for  instance,  are  pronounced  in  seven  different  ways,  and  that  it 
is  only  through  common  usage  that  it  is  known  which  of  these  seven 
ways  is  correct.  Now  a  foreigner  and  a  stranger  to  our  language  knows 
nothing  of  common  usage;  he  must  learn  the  language  by  rule;  but 
how  can  he  know  the  proper  pronunciation  of  a  word,  when  he  sees 
seven  different  words,  with  what  seems  to  him  the  same  combination  of 
letters,  and  yet  is  told  they  are  pronounced  in  seven  different  ways ! 
This  very  great  difficulty,  and  to  many  persons  an  insurmountable  one, 
Dr.  Comstock's  new  alphabet  is  designed  to  meet  and  to  obviate.  He 
has  a  character  for  each  of  the  elementary  sounds  in  the  English  lan- 
guage ;  and  any  one,  by  paying  attention  to  the  characters,  may  learn 
very  readily  to  read  by  them. 

But  some  objectors  may  say,  Will  not  this  alphabet,  if  introduced 
generally,  change  our  language  entirely  ?  To  this  I  answer  by  another 
question.  Is  not  our  language  constantly  changing  ?  Is  it  by  any  means 
the  same  as  it  was  two  hundred  years  ago,  to  say  nothing  of  going  still 
farther  back7  Do  not  books,  published  then,  require  a  dictionary  to  tell 
us  the  meaning  of  many  of  the  words,  and  is  not  the  way  of  spelling 
them  quite  obsolete  now  1  But  let  the  new  alphabet  be  used,  and  there 
is,  there  can  be  no  change ;  for,  by  this,  every  word  must  be  written  and 
pronounced  by  a  fixed  rule,  so  that  the  very  word  conveys,  on  its  face, 
its  own  pronunciation,  and  there  will  be  no  need  of  referring  to  diction- 
aries or  authorities  to  decide  ;  the  alphabet  is  its  own  interpreter  of 
sounds.  I  send  you  herewith  one  of  Dr.  Comstock's  newspapers,  so  that 
you  may  see  for  yourself  his  plan ;  and  you  will  be  satisfied,  Mr.  Editor, 
after  you  look  into  it,  that  it  needs  no  eulogy  of  mine  to  recommend  it 
to  your  notice,  or  that  of  your  readers. 

J.  A.  E  * 

*  We  have  reason  to  think  that  the  above  article  was  written  by  Mrs.  Jane  A. 
Eames,  of  Providence,  II.  I.  —  the  authoress  of  a  very  interesting  anonymous  work, 
entitled,  "  Budget  of  Letters."— C. 


114  RECOMMENDATIONS    OP 

A  Letter  from  the  Rev.  William  Beardsley, 

Author  of  a  Phonetic  Alphabet  and  a  System  of  Short-Hand. 

Bristol,  Kendall  Co.,  Illinois,  Feb.  20,  1851. 
Dr.  A.  Comstock  : 

Dear  Sir, — For  several  months  I  have  been  proposing1  to  write  to  you 
on  the  subject  of  the  reform  you  so  nobly  persevere  in — that  of  the  writ- 
ten representation  of  speech ;  or,  as  I  would  style  it,  The  Epographic 
Reform. 

Your  Pamphoxeticon,  as  to  its  general  features,  commends  itself  to 
every  mind  capable  of  judging  of  its  merits,  as  an  improvement  in 
literature,  which,  if  generally  adopted,  would  be  of  greater  utility  for  the 
generation  now  growing  up,  and  tor  those  to  come,  than  all  our  modern 
improvements  in  the  arts,  as  effected  by  the  application  of  steam-power 
to  machinery  These,  indeed,  facilitate  the  acquisition  of  wealth  in  a 
great  variety  of  ways,  as  well  as  multiply,  almost  incalculably,  the  con- 
veniencies  of  life.  They  also  bring  regions  of  the  earth,  remote  from 
each  other,  into  proximity,  and  thus  introduce  distant  nations  to  each 
other's  acquaintance,  and  open  to  our  view  illimitable  sources  of  know- 
ledge  and  enjoyment. 

But  the  Pamphoneticon,  let  it  be  put  into  general  operation,  would  be 
the  key  to  unlock  those  sources  of  knowledge  to  every  mind,  and  thus 
quality,  or  furnish  the  means  to  qualify  all  who  would  avail  themselves  of 
its  advantages.  And,  as  to  the  pecuniary  advantages  it  would  afford, 
if  the  maxim,  "  A  penny  saved  is  a  penny  earned,"  is  true,  this  improve- 
ment would  not  suffer  in  comparison  with  any  of  those  effected  by  steam- 
power.  And  then  the  mighty  impetus  it  would  give  to  the  study  of  lan- 
guage, and  the  magic  power  it  would  exert  to  dispel  the  confusion  and 
jargon  of  modern  tongues,  and  gradually  prepare  the  way  lor  one  uni- 
versal language ;  or,  at  least,  to  remove  one  of  the  chief  obstacles  to  the 
acquisition  of  the  different  languages,  so  as  to  render  them  comparatively 
easy,  and  thus  remove,  also,  one  of  the  great  barriers  to  international 
communication  and  amity. 

How  vastly  would  such  a  reform,  or  rather  revolution,  speed  the  march 
of  science  and  of  the  arts  in  every  land,  and  especially  in  our  own  ! 
Suppose  the  two  millions  of  children,  or  more,  in  the  United  States,  now 
in  a  process  of  drilling  in  our  primary  schools,  in  order  to  "  beat  into 
them"  a  knowledge  of  the  common  alphabet,  and  of  its  labyrinthic  ar- 
rangements into  words  to  represent  our  spoken  language,  instead  of 
being  thus  absurdly  led,  or  driven  "  in  terrorem"  through  all  the  count- 
less intricacies  of  such  a  chaos  —  instructed  correctly  in  the  science  of 
Epology,  or  Phonetics,  and  then,  in  the  simple  representation  of  the  ele- 
mentary sounds,  on  the  principle  of  one  simple  sign  to  each  elementary 
sound,  and  always  the  same  letter  to  denote  one  and  the  same  sound — 
who  can  estimate  the  amount  of  energy  such  a  change  would  impart  to 
those  millions  of  young  minds,  now  comparatively  inert? — inert,  because 
uninterested,  and  uninterested  because  uninformed  as  to  the  very  rudi- 
ments of  their  mother  tongue.  Instead  of  drilling  them  much  of  their 
time  in  school  for  many  years,  in  the  dry  and  most  repulsive  task  of 
reading  and  spelling  syllables  and  words,  which  few  ever  perfectly  at- 
tain, and  less  retain,  let  them  once  and  forever  learn  the  true  theory  and 


cojjstock's  phonology.  115 

practice  (which  a  great  portion  of  them  would  be  able  to  do  within  a 
month),  and  then  let  them  apply  their  minds  to  the  study  of  things,  so 
as  to  acquire  knowledge,  and  they  will  manifest  an  ever-increasing 
eagerness  to  climb  the  heights  of  science.  How  different  would  be  their 
history,  and  how  much  higher  their  destiny  ! 

Persevere,  then,  in  the  work,  and  may  you  live  to  witness  in  this  en- 
terprise as  great  a  change  as  has  been  effected,  within  the  last  forty 
years,  in  locomotion  by  steam-power. 

Yours  for  the  Reform, 

WM.  BEARDSLEY. 


A  Letter  from  Stephen  D.  Stout,  Esq. 

Charleston,  Tennessee,  Feb.  23,  1851. 
Dr.  A.  Comstock  : 

Sir, — I  have  been  reading  your  paper  (Phonetic  Telegraph)  for  more 
than  a  year;  and  I  must  say  that  I  have  the  highest  opinion  of  your 
improved  system  of  orthography.  I  received  all  the  books  that  I  ordered 
from  you,  and  a  little  Geography  extra,  which  is  truly  a  beautiful   book. 

I  was  pleased  with  the  Phonetic  Alphabet  at  first  sight,  but  withheld 
my  opinion  till  I  had  carefully  examined  the  merits  of  the  system.  Now, 
I  think  I  am  not  mistaken  when  I  say  that  the  Phonetic  Alphabet  is  one 
of  the  greatest  inventions  of  the  age.  Its  beautiful  appearance,  its  sim- 
plicity, and,  above  all,  its  perfection,  speak  highly  in  its  favor;  and,  so  for 
as  my  observation  extends,  it  has  been  favorably  received  wherever  it  has 
been  examined. 

I  feel  deeply  interested   in  your  publications,  and  will  do  all  in  my 
power  to  aid  you  in  this  great  Reform. 
Yours,  truly, 

STEPHEN  D.  STOUT. 
Teacher  of  a  G rummur-ischool. 


A  Letter  from  J.  K.  Mitchell,  M.  D.,  the  Professor  of  the  Theory  and 
Practice  of  Medicine,  in  Jefferson  Medical  College,  Philadelphia,  and  a 
Member  of  the  American  Philosophical  Society. 

Philadelphia,  June  28,  1851. 
A.  Comstock,  M.  D. : 

Dear  Sir, — From  a  critical  examination  of  your  great  theory  of  Pho- 
netics, I  am  glad  to  find  that  the  system  has  alreadv  attained  to  com- 
pletion. To  me  it  is  truly  gratifying  to  learn  that  an  alphabet  exists 
which  is  strictly  representative,  not  only  of  all  the  sounds,  but  of  their 
various  modifications  in  speech,  in  every  language  in  which  books  are 
written  upon  the  arts  and  sciences.  I  am  glad  to  perceive  this,  because 
I  consider  a  universal  alphabet  of  the  greati  si  value  to  the  civilized 
world.  A  knowledge  of1  your  system  enables  the  student,  at  once  and 
always,  to  read  every  book  printed  conformably  to  it,  nut  only  in  Eng- 
lish, but  in  French,  German,  Latin,  Greek,  Spanish,  Italian,  &c.  The 
greatest  obstacle  to  the  acquisition  of  one's  vernacular,  or  any  other 
language,  is  thus  entirely  removed,  and  the  learner  finds  the  only  insu- 


116  RECOMMENDATIONS    OF 

perable  impediment  to  self-instruction  totally  obviated.  Not  only  will 
your  system  of  Phonetics  do  these  things,  but  it  will  produce  that  uni- 
fbrmitv  of  pronunciation  so  desirable  and  so  elegant. 

I  esteem  your  efforts  of  the  greatest  value,  because  I  perceive  that  the 
dream  of  Franklin  has  become,  in  your  hands,  a  profound  reality. 

I  remain,  dear  sir,  truly  yours,  J.  K.  MITCHELL. 

A  Letter  from  the  Rev.  D.  G.  Mattery,  of  Woodstock,  Virginia. 
Dr.  A.  Comstock:  Fairfax  C.  H.,  Va.,  March  31st,  1855. 

Dear  Sir, — I  am  delighted  with  your  little  book,  (Phonetic  Readert 
No.  I.),  and  shall  do  what  I  am  able,  to  make  it  known  in  my  neigh 
borhood. 

I  have  been  a  teacher  during  most  of  the  last  ten  years,  and  have  a 
thousand  times  lamented  that  we  have  an  orthography  so  absurd.  Your 
beautiful  alphabet  is  all  that  I  can  desire.  Its  adaptation  to  all  lan- 
guages, and  particularly  its  relation  to  the  missionary  work,  makes  me 
most  anxious  for  its  speedy  adoption.  Had  I  the  power  to  compel  its 
adoption  by  all  missionaries,  that  power  should  be  exercised. 

Enclosed,  please  find  postage-stamps  for  the  Readers,  and  also  for 
your  Treatise  on  Phonology,  which  latter  please  send  by  mail.  I  shall 
get  some,  if  not  all  of  your  other  books,  when  I  reach  home.  I  expect 
to  remain  here  during  the  month  of  April,  and  alier  that  shall  reside 
permanently  at  Woodstock,  Shenandoah  county,  Va.     Yours  sincerely, 

D.  G.  MALLERY. 


Another  Letter  from  Rev.  D.  G.  Mullery. 
Dr.  Comstock  :  F.  C.  H.,  April  18th,  1855. 

Dear  Sir, — Your  letter  came  to  hand  while  I  was  conversing  with 
another  minister  on  your  system.  Although  I  had  never  seen  a  script 
alphabet  in  actual  pen  and  ink  writing,  yet  I  read  it  without  the  least 
hesitation  ;  and,  handing  it  to  my  friend,  he  found  but  few  words  which 
he  did  not  understand,  notwithstanding  his  only  acquaintance  with  your 
alphabet  was  gained  from  looking  over  the  slip  of  printed  paper  which 
you  enclosed,  and  that  while  I  was  reading  your  letter. 

I  hope  to  see  the  day  when  we  shall  have  the  Hebrew  Bible  printed 
in  your  phonetre  characters ;  and  I  am  sure  it  would  delight  the  eyes 
of  many  who,  like  myself,  have  wearied  themselves  with  the  uncouth 
characters  in  which  we  are  now  obliged  to  read  it. 

As  you  are  aware,  it  is  one  of  the  subjects  on  which  candidates  for 
the  (Presbyterian)  ministry  are  examined  ;  yet  you  will  not,  I  think,  find 
one  in  ten  who  can  read  it  after  five  years'  ministerial  life.  This  is 
owiuw-,  in  a  great  measure,  to  the  irksomeness  of  the  task  of  keeping 
up  their  acquaintance  with  it;  and  this  is  occasioned  by  the  character 
of  the  letters  which,  with  the  subscript  vowel-points,  gives  a  confused 
appearance  to  the  page,  wearying  the  eyes  of  all,  and  permanently  in. 
juring  the  eyes  of  many. 

If  such  a  book  as  "Arnold's  Hebrew  Book"  could  be  published  with 
some  portion  of  Genesis  and  the  Psalms  added  to  it>  and  all  in  your 
phonetic  characters,  the  labor  of  learning  Hebrew  would  become  a 
pleasure.  Yours  truly, 

D.  G.  MALLERY, 
Woodstock,  Shenandoah  Co  ,  Va. 


com,stock's   phonology.  117 

A  Letter  from  N.  F.  Cooledge,  Principal  of  Cotton  Hill  Seminary,  Ga. 
Dr.  A.  Comstock  :  Cotton  Hill,  Ga.,  July  7,  1855. 

Dear  Sir,— I  am  well  satisfied,  from  the  simplicity  and  utility  of  your 
Universal  Alphabet,  that  it  is  a  work  "destined  for  immortality;"  and 
that  if  you  will  publish  a  complete  series  of  school-books,  in  my  humble 
opinion,  ten  years  will  suffice  to  work  a  general  reformation,  and  class 
the  old  alphabet  among  the  "  things  that  have  been,  but  are  no  more." 

Permit  me  to  say,  most  respectfully,  that  your  claims  are  not  so 
generally  understood  as  they  should  be.  I  think  your  watchword  should 
be  agitation—your  motto,  keep  it  before  the  people;  for  the  friends  of  this 
reform  are  looking  to  you  to  carry  it  forward.     Respectful lv, 

N.  F.  COOLEDGE. 

A  Letter  from  Gilbert  Randolph,  Esq. 

Morgan  Kqrati,  Tsnssx,  Nov.  173, 1S54. 
Dr.  Andru  Komstok: 

Dir  Sur — Mcor  oan  a  yrx  agco  I  rat  ts  yu,  and  rxsxvd  an  ansur,  rslativ  ts 
yur  Fconstik  wurks;  sins  qi<5  tim  I  hav  bin  ordunrj  sum  ov  yur  wurks  Ors 
08  heps  ov  Lipinkot,  Grambco  &  Ku. 

I  am  weI  phzd  wio  yur  SistEru  ov  Fconstix.  Yur  FconElik  karaktur/.  ds 
not  luk  sco  kuksd,  kruked,  and  unsith  az  Pitman'z.  Curli  yurz  wil  tek 
betur  wib  be  Amsrikan  pxpl  ban  biz. 

lam  tifirj  a  komun  sksl,  and  hav  a  klas  ridnj  in  be  TEStamsnt:  qil  be 
nd,  I  hav  Komstok's  Fconstik  TsstamEnt  bifcor  rui.  Hep  i/.i  it  iz !  It  iz  do 
trubl  ts  kol  Evun  hard  ncm  in  it. 

I  am  trirrj  ts  gEt  mi  patrunz  in  be  sprat  ov  FwnEtix.  If  I  suksid,  I  cal 
ordur  a  pak  ov  yur  biks  bitwxn  ois  and  spnrj.  I  wild  bi  glad  if  yur  Dik- 
cunari  kud  bi  rsdi  bi  oat  tim.  I  hav  sevural  students  ncp,  hs  rid  yur  Fo- 
DEtik  print  prsti  wsl,  and  .ssvural  hs  kan  spsl  olmcost  £ni  wurd  bi  ?rpnd.  I 
am  konfinst  oat  5e  studi  ov  FconEtix  wil  fasilitet  be  studi  ov  orftografi,  xvn 
akordirj  ts  6e  cold  msdud. 

If  yu  ar  pubheirj  a  piriodikal  in  yur  Alfabst,  I  dizir  yu  tH  send  it  ts  mi: 
and  be  subsknpeun  pris  cal  bi  forftkumirj  upon  6e  nsit  ov  be  furst  numbur. 
Mi  post-ofts  iz,  Pcort  fik  Sprirjz,  Rcon  Kcpnti,  TsnE.-i. 

Yur  wurks  hav  grvn  Entir  satisfakcun  qoi'Evur  I  hav  surkuletfd  bsm. 
Hcopirj  ts  hrr  from  yu  ssn,  rslativ  ts  yur  Dikcunan,  tBgs&ur  wio  edi  sugdes- 
fnnz  yu  me  si  fit  ts  mek  ts  wun  hs  wiciz  yur  FconEtix  yzmrvursal  sukses,  I 
am  yurz,  rxspsktfr/li,  G.  RANDOLF. 


A  Letter  from  Wm.  Johns,  Esq.,  of  Talladega,  Alabama. 

Taladiga,  Alabama,  Okt.  9,  1847. 

Pun, — I  hav  wio  plsjur,  and.  I  trust,  not  wibcpt  profit,  n-ivil  and  rsd  be 
difursnt  numburz  ov  yur  Fconetik  Magazin,  from  be  kouiEnsuisut  ov  its 
publikecun. 

Yurz  iz,  ts  mi  mind,  a  lodabl  Enturpriz,  and  dfistind  ts  sfskt  mu6  for  bh 
koz  ov  luniirj,  not  onli  aniurj  ocoz  hs  ncp  spik  oi  Iijglie  larjgwiij.  but  bi  rni- 


118  com  stock's  phonology. 

durirj  a  nolec)  ov  it  izi  ov  akwizicun,  nidus  its  adopcun  bi  bi  ubur  necunz 
or  bi  urft.     Ais  vvil  probabll  bi  bi  ultimatum. 

AVer  it  nEsssari,  and  -kud  I  pnzutn  ts  sfekt  Em  Orrj,  I  init  se  msm  gud 
Oinz  m  rilecun  ts  yur  sistEni  ov  Fmnografi,  and  yur  sftorts  for  rxform  ;  but 
I  kanbt  Enkunc]  yu  so  sfsk&jali  em  ubur  we  az  bi  givrrj  yu  mi  on  patrumc). 
I  oarfcor  inklcoz  yu  wun  dolur,  wib  be  rikwEst  bat  jm  tend  mi  bf  Magazin 
for  os  kuiTut  yir. 

I  hav  komEnst  61  EstablicmEnt  ov  an  mdipEndsnt  Ili  Sksl  in  bis  pies  (Ta- 
ladiga);  and,  lik  yur  frmd  Birdzli,  "I  am  dizirus  ts  obten,  at  bi  cpt.-et.  OE 
mcost  aprsvd  buks,  and  ts  mtrcodus  bE  rowst  aprsvd  msOudz  ov  mstrukeun." 
And  I  eal,  az  ssn  az  konviuysnt,  Egamm  yur  sxnz  ov  buks;  and,  if  be  ar 
qot  I  antisipet,  adopt  bsm  az  tsxt-buks,  and  Endsvur  ts  hav  bEm  mtrwdust 
cjsnurah,  in  bis  kqmti.     Yurz,  wib  nspekt,  WM.  JD0NZ. 

Dr.  A.  Komstok,  Filadslfia. 


The  following  Lines,  accompanied  with  the  First  Edition  of  the  Treatise  on 
Phonology,  were  sent  to  an  uncle  (since  deceased),  who  loas  loth  a  Cler<jy~ 
man  and  a  Physician. 

Filadslfia,  Epnl  2,  1846. 

I'v  bin  Engecjd,  az  bi  biz  linz  yu '1  si, 

In  mekrrj  purfskt  qir  ordografi. 

<J>r  ansfsturz,  az  if  bar  sunz  ts  bobur, 

Spsld  wurdz  wun  we — prcontpnst  bnn  in  anubur; 

Bi  oe  sem  sin  Exprest  kwit  difursnt  sqpndz, 

Qi6  muc,  yu  nco,  bs  pupiFz  mind  konfepndz. 

But  wx,  lis  hv  in  bis  Enlitnd  erj, 

Qsn  nuthrj  but  unprsvniEnt  iz  be  ret), 

Qeu  Koraurs  bnrjz  bur  murdandiz  from  far, 

On  snortirj  stimbcots  and  bE  fliirj  kar, 

Qsn  wudn  niEn  ar  med  ts  spik  and  sirj, 

And  nuz  iz  karid  on  be  litmrj'z  wrrj, 

Qsn  Evun  art  iz  ts  purfskcun  brot, 

And  evun  larjgwi^  "in  six  ls;nz  tot," 

Wil  purfskt  ordur  cpt  ov  keos  brrrj, 

And  mek  cpr  spclirj  kwit  an  izi  Sirj. 

Ais  haz  bin  dun,  az  bi  mi  brk  yu'l  SI, 

Qi6  borz  be  till  ov  Fconoltotji. 

Piruz  bs  work,  not  wib  a  hesti  glans, 

If  yu  bs  koz  ov  sinis  ivrd  advafis; 

But  wib  du  ksr,  and  wib  inkwirrrj  mind, 

Az  ol  wil  ds  bs'il  bsnifit  mankind, 

Qsbur  be  psdl  pilz,  yurj  fiklrfn  lif., 

Folro  bE  plq\  or  id  bE  pulpil  pn6. 

A.  KOMSTOK. 
Rev.  Dr.  .A.  M.  ''..  E 


comStock's    PIIONOLOGY.  119 

A  Letter  from  Wm.  IT.  Allen,  LL.D.,  President  of  Girard  College. 

Girakd  College, -Aug.  31,  1Sj5. 
Dr.  A.  Comstock  : 

Dear  Sir,  —  Having  examined  your  Phonetic  Alphabet,  I  believe  that  it 
is  founded  on  a  correct  analysis  of  the  elementary  sounds  of  our  language, 
and  that  its  use  would  greatly  facilitate  the  acquisition  of  the  arts  of  read- 
ing and  spelling,  as  well  as  promote  uniformity  in  pronunciation.  The 
characters  which  you  have  adopted,  being  the  Pioman  and  Greek  letters,  or 
modifications  of  them,  are  simple  in  form,  easy  to  write,  and  pleasant  to 
the  eye,  while  the  tone-marks,  to  indicate  accent,  inflection,  and  intonation, 
enable  the  reader  to  comprehend  and  represent  the  exact  meaning  of  his 
author. 

I  recommend  your  alphabet  to  the  attention  of  teachers  and  writers,  in 
the  belief  that  its  introduction  into  general  use  would  save  years  of  irk- 
some labor  to  children,  and  be  the  nearest  approach  which  has  been  made 
to  a  "royal  road  to  knowledge;" 

I  remain,  respectfully  yours, 

WM.  H.  ALLEX. 


A  Letter  from  the  Rev.  Lyman  Coleman,  D.  P.,  Principal  of  the  Presby- 
terian Institute,  and  Author  of  "An  Historical  Text-Book,  and  Atlas  of 
Biblical  Geography  ;"  "Ancient   Christianity   Exemplijied  ;"   "Apostolic 
and  Primitive  Church,"  &c.  &c. 
Dr.  A.  Comstock  : 

Dear  Sir, — I  do  but  reiterate  the  common  sentiment  of  all  who  have  duly 
examined  your  Phonetic  Alphabet,  in  giving  expression  to  the  conviction 
that  the  characters  which  you  have  adopted  greatly  surpass,  in  simplicity 
and  beauty,  all  similar  attempts  to  analyze  and  express  the  elementary 
sounds  of  our  language;  and  I  consider  that  your  Pamphoneticon  is  the 
nearest  approach  which  has  ever  been  made  to  a  universal  alphabet. 

Were  it  possible  to  reduce  our  spelling  to  a  system  so  simple,  so  compre- 
hensive, and  complete,  it  would  be  an  incalculable  service  to  all  who  en- 
counter the  difficulties  of  the  anomalous  orthography  of  our  noble  language. 
Even  should  a  reform  so  desirable  prove  unsuccessful,  your  efforts  in  this 
direction  are  not  the  less  important  to  all  those  who  study  the  first  prin- 
ciples of  our  own,  or  of  foreign  languages. 

Very  respectfully  yours, 

LYMAN  COLEMAN. 
Philadelphia,  Sept.  6, 1855. 

I  concur  entirely  in  the  opinion  of  Dr.  Coleman. 

JOHN  S.  HART, 

Principal  of  the  Philadelphi-a  High  School. 
September  7, 1855. 


120  RECOMMENDATION    OF 

A  Letter  from  James  M.  Morrison,  E*q.,  the  Linguist  and  Poet. 

Philadelphia,  Oct.  3,  1855. 
Dr.  Comstock  : 

Dear  Sir, — Although  what  I  may  say  in  commendation  of  your  Phonetic 
System  can  have  little  or  no  weight,  being,  as  Burns  says, 


" a  nameless  wight, 

Trod  in  the  mire  clean  out  of  sight;" 

yet  having,  for  a  period  of  over  thirty  years,  made  the  study  of  languages 
a  recreation,  I  consider  myself  not  altogether  incompetent  to  say  a  good 
word  for  you. 

Every  linguist  knows  that,  poor  as  the  English  tongue  is  in  articulate 
sounds,  the  Roman  alphabet  is  inadequate  to  give  them  all  expression.  It 
is  equally  evident  that  numerous  combinations  of  letters  are  retained  to 
express  sounds  that  are  now  obsolete  or  provincial.  Hence  the  apparently 
absurd  combinations  of  letters  expressing  the  same  sound,  and  the  equally 
absurd  double,  triple,  and  even  quadruple  debt  which  the  same  letter  is 
made  to  pay,  by  representing  different  sounds  —  an  anomaly  found,  to  the 
same  extent,  in  no  other  tongue;  alike  repulsive  to  foreigners  and  puzzling 
to  children.  Your  system  cuts  a  clear  path  through  this  tangled  thicket, 
by  giving  each  letter  an  articulate  sound,  and  each  sound  a  uniform 
representation. 

As  our  knowledge  of  the  great  family  of  man  increases,  our  ideas  require 
to  be  expressed  in  words  whose  uncouth  sounds  cannot  be  written  in  Ro- 
man characters,  such  as  Chinese,  Hindostanee,  Russian,  &c. ;  but  they  can 
be  easily  managed  by  your  system.  And  provincial  peculiarities,  as  well 
as  words  from  the  French,  Spanish,  &c,  when  printed  in  your  characters, 
can  be  read  to  a  native  without  exciting  his  risibility. 

To  my  mind,  the  most  ingenious  part  of  your  whole  system  is  its  tone- 
marks,  by  means  of  which  the  reader  is  not  only  enabled  to  pronounce 
single  words  correctly,  but  to  give  the  very  tones  of  the  language  in  which 
the  author  himself  would  express  his  ideas. 

Wishing  you  as  much  gain  and  glory  as  your  meritorious  labors  deserve, 
I  am  yours,  very  respectfully, 

JAMES  M.  MORRISON. 


Philadelphia,  Oct.  6,  1855. 
I  have  examined  Dr.  Comstock's  Phonetic  Alphnbet  with  some  care, 
and  I  consider  it  decidedly  the  best  that  I  have  ever  seen. 

P.  REDFIELD, 
Phonographer  and  Principal  of  Mantua  Boys'  School. 


RECOMMENDATION 

OP 

§i\  tostofe'is  jgfrmtfo  glpjraitt 

"WITH   A    COMPARATIVE   VIEW   OF 

THE  PRESENT  PHONETIC  ALPHABETS. 


We  have  carefully  compared  the  Phonetic  Alphabet  of  Dr. 
A.  Comstock,  of  Philadelphia,  with  that  of  Isaac  Pitman,  of 
England,  now  used  by  himself  in  that  country,  and  by  An- 
drew J.  Graham  in  this;  also  with  the  modification  of  the 
said  alphabet  as  used  by  Longley,  Prosser,  and  Benn  Pitman, 
in  Cincinnati ;  and  we  have  no  hesitation  in  saying  that  the 
Alphabet  of  Dr.  Comstock  is  far  preferable,  for  the  following 
reasons :  — 

1.  Dr.  Comstock's  alphabet  is  founded  on  a  correct  analysis 
of  the  elementary  sounds  of  the  language ;  whereas  Pitman's 
alphabet,  as  well  as  its  modification,  is  founded  on  an  incor- 
rect analysis  of  these  sounds.* 

2.  The  alphabet  of  Dr.  C.  contains  all  the  letters  of  the  old 
alphabet;  whereas  the  other  alphabets  reject  three  of  them, 
viz.,  c,  q,  and  x.    . 

3.  In  Dr.  C.'s  alphabet,  the  letters  of  the  old  alphabet  are 
employed  in  a  way  which  essentially  aids  the  pupil  in  acquiring 

*  We  (Id  not.  here  wish  to  he  understood  as  referring,  in  any  respect  whatever,  to  Pitman's 
Short-Hand  Alphahet.  His  Phonography,  as  he  calls  it,  though  not  strictly  phonetic,  is  admitted 
to  be  the  best  system  of  Short-Hand  which  has  vet  been  devised. 

(121) 


122  RECOMMENDATION    OF 

a  knowledge  of  other  languages,  as  they  are  appropriated,  as 
far  as  practicable,  to  the  corresponding  sounds  in  the  different 
languages  in  which  the  Roman  alphabet  is  used;  whereas,  in 
Pitman's  alphabet,  as  well  as  in  its  modification,  the  letters 
of  the  Roman  alphabet  are  not  employed  in  a  way  which 
affords  the  learner  of  other  languages  essential  aid. 

4.  Whenever  there  is  a  sound  common  to  the  English  and 
the  Greek,  and  the  English  having  no  letter  for  it,  but  the 
Greek  a  letter  appropriated  to  the  sound,  this  letter,  in  Dr. 
C/s  alphabet,  is  made  to  represent  the  same  sound ;  whereas, 
in  Pitman's  alphabet,  as  well  as  in  its  modification,  not  one 
Greek  letter  which  is  employed  by  him,  is  appropriated  to  the 
sound  that  it  represents  in  the  Greek.  Not  only  so :  Mr.  Pit- 
man has  formed  new  letters  which  are  inelegant,  when  he 
might  have  taken  Greek  letters  which  are  beautiful,  to  repre- 
sent sounds  that  are  common  to  the  two  languages. 

5.  All  the  letters  in  Dr.  C.'s  alphabet  are  symmetrical,  and, 
in  print,  afford  a  beautiful  page ;  whereas,  in  Pitman's  alpha- 
bet, as  well  as  in  its  modification,  many  of  the  letters  are 
uncouth,  and,  in  print,  make  the  page  unseemly. 

6.  Dr.  C.'s  alphabet  has  tone-marks  to  indicate  accent,  in- 
flection, and  intonation,  which  enable  one  to  read,  at  any  period 
however  distant,  an  author  exactly  as  he  intended ;  but  Pit- 
man's alphabet,  as  well  as  its  modification,  is  destitute  of  tone- 
marks,  and,  consequently,  affords  no  such  aid. 

In  conclusion,  we  would  say  that  Dr.  C.'s  alphabet  is  the 
only  one  which  we  have  ever  seen  that  deserves  the  name  of 
phonetic,  for  it  is  the  only  one  which  has  a  letter  appropriated 
to  every  elementary  sound  of  the  language,  and  signs  to  repre- 
sent the  various  modifications  of  the  voice  in  reading  and 
speaking.  And  we  verily  believe  that  this  alphabet  would  not 
only  enable  the  pupil  to  resolve  vocal  words  into  their  ele- 
mentary sounds,  and  to  read  with  propriety,  but  would  greatly 
facilitate  his  acquisition  of  our  present  anomalous  orthography. 


comstock's  phonetic  alphabet.      123 

With  these  views  we  cordially  recommend  Dr.  Comstock's 
Phonetic  Alphabet  to  the  consideration  of  those  who  feel  an 
interest  in  a  subject  so  well  calculated  to  facilitate  the  acqui- 
sition of  knowledge,  and  promote  the  extension  of  morality 
and  religion  throughout  the  earth. 


J.  K.  MITCHELL,  M.  D., 

Professor  of  Medicine  in  Jefferson 
Medical  College,  Philadelphia. 

GEORGE  ALLEN, 

Professor  of  Greek  and  Latin  in  the 
University  of  Pennsylvania. 

S.  W.  CRAWFORD,  D.  D., 

Principal  of  the  Academical  Depart- 
ment of  the  University  of  Penn- 
sylvania, and  Professor  of  Didactic 
and  Pastoral  Theology  in  the  Theo- 
logical Seminary  of  the  Reformed 
Preshyterian  Church. 

JOHN  ROBERTON, 

Professor  of  Languages,  No.  119  South 
Ninth  Street,  Philadelphia. 
THOMAS  BALDWIN, 

Principal  of  a  Mathematical  and 
Classical  School,  Philadelphia,  and 
Associate  Editor  of  Lippincott's 
Pronouncing  Gazetteer  of  the 
World. 

J.  SIMMONS, 

Principal  of  Locust  Street  Institute 
for  Young  Ladies,  Philadelphia. 

A.  B.  IVINS,  A.M., 

Principal  of  Friends'  Central  School, 
Philadelphia. 
LYMAN  COLEMAN, 

Principal  of  the  Preshyterian  Insti- 
tute, Philadelphia. 

JAMES  BROWN, 

Author  of  the  Rational   System  of 
English  Grammar,  Philadelphia. 
A.  T.  W.  WRIGHT, 

Principal  of  the  Normal  School, 
Philadelphia. 

JOHN  FAGAN, 

Stereotyper,  St.  James'  Street,  Phi- 
ladelphia. 

H.  E.  WALLACE, 

Editor  of  the  Law  Intelligencer,  Phi- 
ladelphia. 


WM.  CURRAN,  M.  D., 

A  Controller  of  the  Public  Schools, 
Philadelphia. 

EDWIN  THOMPSON, 

Phonetic  Compositor  in  John  Fagan's 
Stereotype  Foundery,  Philadelphia. 

H.  Y.  LOUDERBACK, 

Principal  of  Mount  Vernon  Male- 
Grammar  School,  Philadelphia. 

WILLIAM  ROBERTS, 

Principal  of  Ringgold  Grammar 
School,  Philadelphia, 

EDWIN  BOOTH, 

A  Controller  of  the  Public  Schools, 
Philadelphia. 

JOSEPH  T.  COOPER, 

Editor  of  the  Evangelical  Repository, 
and  Pastor  of  the  Second  Associate 
Presbyterian  Church,  Philadelphia. 

B.  M.  DUSENBERY, 

A  Controller  of  the  Public  Schools, 
Philadelphia. 

E.  B.  MEARS, 

Stereotyper,  Harmony  Court,  Phil'a. 
WILLIAM  EVANS, 

Phonetic  Compositor,  Office  of  the 
Public  Ledger,  Philadelphia. 

NELSON  SIZER, 

Professor  of  Phrenology,  of  the  firm 
of  Fowlers,  Wells,  &  Co.,  Phil'a. 

E.  CAPRON, 

Editor  of  the  Philadelphia  Daily 
Times. 

EDWARD  E.  JONES, 

Proprietor   of    the    Daily   Morning 
Times,  Philadelphia. 
GEO.  R.  GRAHAM, 

Editor  of  Graham's  Magazine,  Phi- 
ladelphia. 

WM.  H.  SICKLES, 

A  Controller  of  the  Public'  Schools, 
Philadi  phia 


124 


RECOMMENDATION    OP 


S.  DOUGLAS  WYETH, 

Stereotyper,  No.  7  Pear  Street,  Phila- 
delphia. 

ANDREW  McMAKIN, 

Editor  of  the  American  Courier, 
Philadelphia. 

E.  J.  HEMPHILL, 

Secretary  of  the  Board  of  Control- 
lers of  the  Public  Schools,  Phi- 
ladelphia. 

GEO.  W.  BURR, 

A  Controller  of  the  Public  Schools, 
Philadelphia. 

ROBERT  E.  PETERSON, 

Editor  of  Peterson's  Familiar  Science, 
Philadelphia. 

C.  SHERMAN, 

Printer,  No.  19  St.  James  Street, 
Philadelphia. 

A.  H.  LAIDLAW,  A.M., 

Principal  of  the  Monroe  Boys'  Gram- 
mar School,  Philadelphia. 

P.  A.  CREGAR,  A.  M, 

Principal  of  the  North-West  Boys' 
Grammar  School,  Philadelphia. 

R.  P.  KING, 

Printer,  firm  of  King  and  Baird, 
Philadelphia. 

JOSEPH  PANCOAST,  M.  D., 

Professor  of  Anatomy  in  Jefferson 
Medical  College,  Philadelphia. 

JAMES  W.  McCALLISTER, 

A  Controller  of  the  Public  Schools, 
Philadelphia. 

TYLER  LIPPINCOTT, 

Phonetic  Compositor  in  T.  K.  Collins's 
Printing  Office,  Philadelphia. 

JOHN  SARTAIN, 

Artist,  and  Editor  of  Sartain's  Maga- 
zine, Philadelphia. 

SAMUEL  DURBOROW, 

Rector  of  the  Church  of  the  Evan- 
gelists, Philadelphia. 

A.  BE  ATT  Y, 

Rector  of  Trinity  Church,  Carbon- 
dale,  Pennsylvania. 

M.  HAMBLETON, 

Attorney  at  Law,  aDd  Phonographic 
Reporter,  Philadelphia. 


JAMES  L.  TYSON,  M.  D., 

Professor  of  Materia  Medica  and 
Therapeutics  in  the  Philadelphia 
College  of  Medicine. 

C.  CAMPBELL  COOPER,  M.  D., 

President  of  the  Board  of  Directors 
of  Public  Schools,  9th  District, 
Philadelphia. 

E.  CONVERSE, 

Editor  of  the  Christian  Observer, 
Philadelphia. 

L.  A.  GODEY, 

Editor  of  Godey's  Lady  Book,  Phila- 
delphia. 

DAVID  McKINNEY, 

Editor  of  the  Presbyterian  Banner, 
Philadelphia. 

W.  B.  JACOBS, 

Editor  of  the  Christian  Chronicle, 
Philadelphia. 

M.  McMICHAEL, 

Editor  of  the  North  American  and 
United  States  Gazette,  Phila. 

B.  R.  LOXLEY, 

Depository  Agent  of  the  American 
Baptist  Publication  Society,  No.  118 
Arch  St.,  Philadelphia. 

J.  P.  ENGLES, 

Publishing  Agent  of  the  Presbyterian 
Board  of  Publication,  No.  265 
Chestnut  St.,  Philadelphia. 

JAMES  C.  SCOTT, 

Depository  Agent  of  Pennsylvania 
Bible  Society,  N.  W.  corner  of  7th 
and  Walnut,  Philadelphia. 

ROBERT  MORRIS, 

Editor  of  the  Pennsylvania  Inquirer, 
Philadelphia. 

JAMES  S.  WALLACE, 

Editor  of  the  Philadelphia  Sun. 

J.  R.  FLANIGEN, 

Editor  of  the  Daily  News,  Phila. 

SAMUEL  C.  UPHAM, 

Editor  of  the  Sunday  Mercury,  Phila. 

WILLIAM  RICE, 

Proprietor  of  the  Pennsylvanian, 
Philadelphia. 

EDWARD  W.  WEBB, 

Editor  of  the  Pennsylvanian,  Phila. 


comstock's   phonetic  alphabet.   125 


JOHN  M.  COLEMAN, 

For  18  years  Principal  of  Grammar 
School,  Philadelphia. 

JOHN  LEYBURN, 

Editor  of  the  Presbyterian,  Phila. 

CHARLES  WADSWORTH, 

Pastor  of  Arch  Street  Church,  Phila. 

THEO.  CUYLER, 

President  of  the  Board  of  Directors 
of  Public  Schools,  Eighth  Section, 
Philadelphia. 

JOSEPH  WRIGHT,  A.  M.,  V.D.M.,  Min- 
ister of  the  Bible  Christian  Church, 
Philadelphia,  and  for  more  than  25 
years  Principal  of  Millington  Aca- 
demy, Maryland. 

HORACE  M.  MARTIN, 

Editor  of  the  Evening  Argus,  Phila. 

JOHN  CHAMBERS, 

Pastor  of  the  First  Independent 
Presbyterian  Church,  Broad  St., 
Philadelphia,  and  one  of  the  Vice- 
Presidents  of  the  Pennsylvania 
Bible  Society. 

P.  COOMBE, 

Pastor  of  Fifth  Street  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  Philadelphia. 


J.  A.  norm:, 

Pastor  of  the  St.  George's  M.  E. 
Church,  Philadelphia. 

JOS.  R.  CHANDLER, 

[l"or  25  years  Editor  of  the  United 
States'  Gazette,  and  afterwards 
Member  of  Congress.] 

WM.  RAMSEY,  D.D., 

Pastor  of  the  Cedar  Street  Church, 
Philadelphia. 

J.  COWPERTHWAIT, 

A  Director  of  the  Girard  College,  and 
for  many  years  a  Director  and  Con- 
troller of  the  Public  Schools  of 
Philadelphia. 

WM.  H.  BATT, 

Principal  of  Zane  Street  Boys'  Gram- 
mar School,  Philadelphia. 

JAMES  BRYAN,  A.  M,  M.  D., 

Professor  of  Surgery  in  the  Philadel- 
phia College  of  Medicine. 

SAMUEL  SARTAIN, 

Engraver  on  Steel,  Philadelphia. 

WM.  F.  BRADY, 

Phonetic  Compositor,  Ledger  Build- 
ing, Philadelphia 


A  Letter  from  George  B.  Wood,  31.  D.,  Professor  of  the  Theory  and  Prac- 
tice of  Medicine  in  the  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Philadelphia,  Sept.  28,  1855. 
Dear  Doctor: 

From  what  I  know  of  your  System  of  Phonology,  from  the  great  length 
of  time  and  diligent  perseverance  which  you  have  devoted  to  this  subject, 
and  from  my  knowledge  of  your  general  character  and  ability,  I  have  no 
doubt  that  your  Treatise  on  Phonology,  now  in  the  press,  will  be  a  work 
of  much  research  and  great  usefulness,  and  should  have  no  hesitation  in 
recommending  it  to  all  teachers  of  youth,  and  all  others  desirous  of  forming 
a  just  estimate  of  spoken  language. 

Respectfully  and  truly  yours, 

GEO.  B.  WOOD. 
Dr.  Andrew  Comstock. 


BE.   A.    COMSTOCK'S   WORKS. 

PUBLISHED  BY  THE  AUTHOR, 
No.    102   ARCH    STREET,    PHILADELPHIA. 


Comstock's  System  of  Elocution,  with  special  reference  to  Gesture,  to 
tin.-  Treatment  of  Stammering,  and  Defective  Articulation;  comprising  nearly  300 
Diagrams  and  Engraved  Figures  illustrative  of  the  subject,  Price,  $1 ;  postage,  IT 
cents. 

Comstock's  Phonetic  Speaker,  a  reprint  of  the  System  of  Elocution,  in 
the  Author's  Perfect  Alphabet,     l'rice.  $lj  postage,  17  cents. 

Comstock's  Phonetic  Reader  £  consisting  of  a  Selection  of  Pieces,  Classical 

and  Moral,  in  Prose  and  Verse,  in  both  the  Old  and  the  New  Alphabet.  Designed 
for  Schools,  as  well  as  for  individuals,  whether  natives  or  foreigners,  who  w  ii  h  to 
acquire  the  true  pronunciation  of  the  English  Language.    Price,  $1 ;  postage,  17  cts. 

Comstock's  Phoneticon,  a  large  Chart,  comprising— -first,  the  Elementary 

Sounds  of  the  English  Language— second,  numerous  Engravings,  showing  the  beet 
posture  of  the  mouth,  in  the  energetic  utterance  of  the  elements — third,  a  Perfect 
Alphabet,  graphic  and  typlc— -fourth,  Exercises  in  Pitch,  Force,  and  Melody— -fifth, 
Exercises  in  Gesture.    Mounted  on  rollers.    Price,  $3. 

Comstock's  System  of  Vocal  Gymnastics— a  Key  to  the  Phoncticon — 
comprising  Exercises  in  Articulation,  l'itch,  Force,  .Melody.  Modulation,  and  Ges- 
ture; arranged  as  they  are  practised  in  the  Author's  Vocal  Gymnasium.  Price,  25 
cents;  postage,  3  cents. 

Comstock's  Phonetic  Minstrel  $  consisting  of  Original  Songs,  in  the  New, 
as  well  as  in  the  Old  Alphabet,  set  to  Music.     Price  12  cents;  postage,  1  cent. 

My  Little  Geography,  in  Comstock's  Perfect  Alphabet,  comprising  more  than 
50  Kngravingg.     Edited  by  Mrs.  Tuthill.     Price,  25  cents;  postage,  5  i 

Epitome  Historic  Sacrpe,  on  an  improved  plan,  with  an  Interlinear  Trans- 
lation. Designed  as  a  Primary  Book  in  the  study  of  the  Latin  Language.  Edited 
by  A.  Comstock,  M.D.     l'rice.  §1;  postage,  25  cents. 

Pope's  Homer's  Iliad,  Book  I.,  with  an  Essay  on  Homer,  and  copious 
Foot-notes — 126  8vo.  pages,  in  the  Phonetic  Alphabet,    l'rice,  50  cts.;  postage,  7  cts. 

The  New  Testament,  in  Comstock's  Perfect  Alphabet — 397  octavo  pages— 
substantially  bound.     Price.  $1.25;  postage,  2S  cents. 

Comstock's  Phonetic  Magazine,  in  two  volumes,  neatly  bound  In  muslin. 
Price  of  each.  (1.25;  postage,  20  cents. 

Comstock's  Phonetic  Telegraph.    Price,  50  cents;  postage,  10  cents. 

Comstock's  Treatise  on  Phonology.    Price,  38  cents ;  postage,  7  cents. 

Comstock's  Phonetic  Reader,  No.  1.) 

t.  .,-,  >■     d      j         tw-.    i  Price,  25  cents;  postage,  4  cents. 

Comstock's  Juvenile  Reader,  No.  1.' 

[Dr.  C  is  preparing,  for  publication,  An  Etymological  and  Pronouncing  Dictionary 
of  the  English  Language— the  pronunciation  to  be  given  in  phonetic  character.-.  As 
tho  pronunciation  will  be  in  the  New  Alphabet,  this  Dictionary  will  answer  all  the 
purposes  of  a  Phonetic  Dictionary,  as  well  as  tho.-e  of  a  common  Dictionary.) 

iitg'  All  orders  for  the  above  works  must  be  accompanied  with  the  cash,  and  di- 
rected to 

ANDREW  COMSTOCK,  M.D., 

No.  102  Arch  Street,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 


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